Geography comes to the rescue of commuters

Pierre Dessemontet recently published an article in the journal Urban Studies, co-authored with Vincent Kaufmann and Christophe Jemelin, on the dynamics of the metropolis, studied from the point of view of commuter traffic flow. It is clearly the commuters, thru their journeys, who provide the most interesting data concerning towns and cities, and the suburbs. As a result of his research, the geographer describes the changes taking place and so enables us to lay the foundations of solutions in response to tomorrow’s realities.

First of all, what exactly is a metropolis?

Pierre Dessemontet – A metropolis is the main town or city in a given geographic region which plans and manages the functioning of the economic and cultural activities of a urban area that it dominates, organizes and regulates. In Switzerland, urban geography has only recently begun to acknowledge the notion of the metropolis, with a center and interconnected suburbs. Our aim is to show the extent of the metropolis and to understand its dynamics. Thus, Geneva cannot think of itself without neighboring France, with which it makes up a single entity. In the same way, Tessin must take into account Milan, as Chiasso is only 60 kilometers away. We noticed that commuters, thru their journeys by train or car, make it possible to establish how towns and suburbs are connected. Commuters from the Nyon-Morges area, who are stuck in traffic jams or have to stand in trains, provide concrete evidence of the problem, and show that these areas are connected and can no longer be considered in isolation.

So the role of the urban geographer is to help re-think the metropolis?

Pierre Dessemontet – Our work enables us to evaluate the new dimensions of towns, to recognize their new features, and to adapt our point of view to realities which evolve much faster than the opinions we have developed about them. Switzerland is in full growth, and if we don’t manage to adapt to this evolution, we will not be able to take the necessary measures, in particular with regard to transportation. For example, between Geneva and Lausanne, we observe that the road structure is good, but that the surrounding infrastructure is inadequate. The secondary network is not sufficiently developed, as a road-user from the Morges area can testify, sometimes spending as much time in joining the highway as he will on the highway itself. To face up to this and find the appropriate responses, it is vital to realize that Switzerland is becoming more and more urban; that it is no longer an Alpine republic; and nor is it just a large region to be merged. The geographer’s mission is to highlight these developments and to propose suitable solutions.

You predict no fewer than 10 million inhabitants in Switzerland in 2050?

Pierre Dessemontet – Yes, it is highly likely, as we are already forecasting 9 million inhabitants in 2035. Our message is a growth message: “Look we are increasing in size!” The relations between towns and suburbs are intensifying; therefore let’s not wait. And let’s ensure that we don’t become like California, for example, which didn’t monitor its development and which, behind the image of Silicon Valley and idyllic beaches, hides an appalling transport network. We have noticed that the 1970s crisis has durably cooled the politicians, who are afraid go forward too much into this area. But the signs are there, and growth is a reality. We forecast an increase of 30% in traffic in the Lake Geneva region in 2030.

If we sum up the situation in the Lake Geneva region, it’s difficult to see what solutions can be found.

Pierre Dessemontet – There is no need to be fatalistic, as long as we take into account population growth and adapt to it. In this respect Zurich is a model, and recognized as the city having the best public transport system in the world. It’s possible to live in one suburb and to work in another without having to use your car. And it’s worth mentioning that the inhabitants of Zurich did not wait to be subsidized by the Confederation to improve their infrastructures. It’s a rich canton which was able to undertake the work first and then ask for the subsidies. This could be quite conceivable in the Lake Geneva area, if Geneva and Lausanne tackled this project jointly. Together, they have more or less the same population as the canton of Zurich. But it is only recently that we have begun to consider the status of Geneva and Lausanne as two bipolar centers. So the first solution that a geographer can offer is to provide the necessary explanations so that mentalities can adapt.