The marginalization of walking, the Achilles’ heel of sustainable mobility policies in Oran (Algeria)

Abstract

Oran’s agglomeration has resulted in an important peripheral urbanisation over the last two decades, followed by a considerable increase of distances travelled and an explosion of passenger car use as the principal transportation mode, to the detriment of public transport use and walking. A political will has emerged to promote public transport use by the implementation of a multimodal public transport system (bus, tram, and metro). Unfortunately, this policy has failed to address sustainable mobility development and the promotion of soft mobility, where walking, as a pillar of urban mobility, is marginalized in public spaces development. This paper aims to analyze the negative impact of the increase of passenger car use on the modal reversal of daily practice displacements and on public spaces development. Likewise, it examines the areas earmarked for walking in the new projects of public transport promotion through the study of the first tram line project in Oran, Algeria.