The role of municipalities and their impact on the transitional capacity of city street experiments: Lessons from Ghent

City street experiments have proven to possess a transitional capacity to achieve system change in urban mobility. Because they challenge the status quo, such experiments often face institutional barriers that can limit their transitional capacity. This paper explores how the role adopted by municipalities–as the formal actor behind institutional arrangements and a key player in urban experimentation–can affect the transitional capacity of street experiments. Using a theoretical framework combining three ideal-typical roles (promoter, enabler and partner) and transitional capacity, we analyze the relationship between the municipality and the Living Streets program in Ghent, Belgium. Our findings reveal that the municipal leadership and subsequent legitimacy accompanied by the promoter and enabler roles can benefit the transitional capacity of experiments in nascent stages, especially when they are radical and potentially contentious. Additionally, the provision of financial, material and human resources, are necessary regardless of role. Lastly, we highlight two dilemmas related to city street experiments and urban mobility: First, should city street experiments be temporarily employed and disbanded once their transitional capacity decreases? And second, can the low-risk nature of experimenting with streets be reconciled with the commitments of long-term policy development required for urban mobility?