Co-Creating Mobility Hubs: Methods for assessing societal demands
This project has been successfully completed and the final report is available upon request. Results on the survey research can be found further below.
The (urban) space in Switzerland as well as the fabric of society are shaped by no infrastructure as much as by railroad stations. The development of railroad stations into mobility hubs is thus about more than just the renewal of buildings, spatial structures and functions. Rather, such developments also encompass the surroundings of mobility hubs, especially public spaces and the social fabric.
While the development of transportation hubs is a central measure for optimizing land use and thus densifying urban spaces, such projects can provoke (local) resistance and trigger (local) public debates. As a consequence, a lack of public acceptance can lead to slower implementation of such projects. Securing public acceptance and support for densification is therefore crucial for the transformation of transportation hubs, specifically in metropolitan regions. The two methods developed in this chapter help identify both user and resident needs and potential impacts early on. This project therefore focused on two key research questions and, concomitantly, two methods to be developed for assessing societal needs:
1. Societal requirements survey
What are the demands of (potential) users of mobility hubs? The aim was to weigh and assess different functions of transport hubs and their design from the user's point of view.
2. Analysis of spillover effects on society
What are potential spillover effects of mobility hubs on surrounding (urban) areas? The effects of rezoning and supply expansion on the surrounding areas of developing mobility hubs were investigated.
This research project studies the potential transformation of railway stations into so-called mobility hubs. The future development of rail-bound transport hubs into intermodal mobility hubs is intended to create hubs that meet the requirements of a high quality of stay and a wide range of services for customers who do not travel by rail. Mobility Hubs could improve the interface between different transportation modes, such as private and public railway systems, particularly in suburban areas and regional population centers. Understanding current and anticipating future societal demands by different user groups is crucial to the success of efforts for the transformation.
Mobility hubs are, however, not only important for the development of rail-bound transport and intermodal mobility but also for the spatial development of regions, cities and areas. Such transformations not only affect railway stations themselves but their surrounding urban areas and consequently its residents. A mobility hub is thus more than an assembly of technical infrastructure and is part of a larger socio-technical system. Against the backdrop of better understanding whether mobility hubs can help urban areas to both densify and decarbonise, this research task thus focuses on three main research questions
- What are demands for mobility hubs by current users/user groups, especially from a societal perspective?
- How can mobility hubs transform mobility behavior, specifically of individuals who predominantly rely on their car?
- What are potential spillover effects of mobility hubs on their surrounding urban areas?
From August 2021 to September 2021, surveys were conducted around the three train stations Bern Wankdorf, Ostermundigen and Nyon. This research project aims to determine the requirements of future stations. In the survey, questions about respondents' attitudes toward offerings at the respective station, their mobility behavior, and themselves were included.
Weitere Informationen auf Deutsch finden Sie unter Co-Creating Mobility Hubs: Methoden zur Abschätzung sozialer Ansprüche
Pour plus d'informations en français, voir Co-Creating Mobility Hubs: Méthods d'évaluation des demandes sociétales
- The complete study, titled external page"Beyond a transport node? What residents want from transforming railway stations," can be accessed now.
- View the Downloadresults of the survey (PDF, 1.7 MB) (in German)