Insight
From concept to implementation: 5 key recommendations for sustainable mobility hubs enhancing user, client, and environmental value
Mobility hubs are pivotal in the transition to decarbonise passenger transportation by facilitating the use of active, collective, or shared transport modes. NIRAS was commissioned by the Danish Road Directorate (Vejdirektoratet) to transform a traditional carpooling area into a multimodal mobility hub in the Danish city, Aalborg.
July 8, 2024
Our two experts, Eva Paola Kvist Campos, Ph.D. student and Erik Kjems, Senior Specialist, share their experiences and provide five key recommendations from this project, highlighting how a comprehensive approach from concept to implementation delivers value for the users, the client, and the environment.
Value for the User
1. Be the user, not just analyse them
We prioritise user-centric solutions that not only consider analysis, usage numbers, flows, and user types, but also carefully evaluate the user experience at the hub by immersing ourselves in it. Our team has dedicated significant time at the hub to understand users’ needs. After several observations, it became clear that for those with long waiting times or in large groups, the hub’s infrastructure must provide comfort, capacity, safety, visibility, and cater to basic needs to enhance the user experience.
The image below presents a rendering of the 3D mock-up of the main hub area, created during the design phase. This model was instrumental in facilitating discussions regarding the platform size and the interior layout. The image was subsequently used for public relations purposes in the following period.
The Concept
The conceptual design phase of the project brought together shareholders, the city, and creative partners in a collaborative effort. This partnership aimed to outline an extensive wish list and provide a preliminary layout of the area, demonstrating a shared vision for the project’s future which formed as a design proposal for the implementation at NIRAS.
Integrated Expertise for Holistic Solutions
At NIRAS, we leverage a diverse range of in-house expertise, encompassing sustainability certification, mobility hub strategy and design, road and traffic planning, simulation and design, wastewater management. This multidisciplinary approach ensures our solutions are robust and comprehensive.
Solution: “We designed a user-centric perron area, adding essential services like toilets and expanding the sheltered spaces for larger groups, ensuring a more inviting environment for all user types thereby following design principles found among similar hubs around the world,” says Eva Paola Kvist Campos, Ph.D. student at NIRAS.
The extended roof area provides ample protection from rain and wind, while a glass facade enables continuous visibility and natural light. Pedestrian-first crossings are integrated to prioritise safety and accessibility.
The hub’s primary feature, carpooling, is prominently displayed and distinctly delineated from the bus area by the sheltered platform. The latter caters to larger groups and busy interactions, typically associated with tourist buses. On-site communication is comprehensive, with clear signage and the mobility hub symbol serving as effective branding. These elements collectively enhance the user experience by facilitating easy navigation and creating an inviting atmosphere.
Value for the client
2. Design for today's needs, ready for tomorrow
“The Danish Road Directory gave us the task of optimising the parking lot design to accommodate as many vehicles as possible while securing design solutions with a high overall standard,” says Erik Kjems, Senior Specialist at NIRAS.
Solution: Our design implementation incorporated improved circulation moving around within the parking area that prioritises safety and efficiency. This included access for pedestrians to and from the adjacent areas including the nearby public (BRT) bus station. We maximised parking efficiency by considering infrastructure capacity, utilities, terrain characteristics, safety standards, while anticipating potential future demands by different users. Additionally, one of the key recommendations included charging stations with high capacity which resulted in a mobility hub featuring 2 fast track super-chargers (300 KW) and 6 regular (22KW) for electric vehicles, with the infrastructure in place to expand and accommodate more charging stations as demand increases.
Value for the environment
3. Embrace sustainability: Reuse, reduce, and recycle can always find a way
Sustainability is at the core of our work in NIRAS and we feel obliged to enforce these aspects in relation to all our customers and solutions.
Solution: We conducted a thorough sustainability screening, focusing on reducing the environmental impact through design and construction practices. In our design we tried to preserve as much of the existing road and wastewater system, reducing construction impacts and costs. During construction, we minimised and created plans for material waste, to secure a protected surrounding green and blue infrastructures.
Additional key recommendations
4. Highlight the key mobility hub function: The more visible carpooling is, the more inviting it is to do it
As in train stations, some metro stations, and shared-mobility hubs; this hub has a main transport function: carpooling. The power of design in effectively promoting its use cannot be overstated, as it is crucial in bolstering its attractiveness as a practical transportation option.
Solution: Our design prioritises visibility and convenience for carpooling activities. Upon entering from the north and south, users encounter centrally located areas optimised for efficient passenger drop-off and pick-up among carpoolers. Additionally, our traffic and road experts have crafted a parking layout that emphasises accessibility and walkability in a car-dominated environment taking into account that some drive electric, some use trailers, some cars are bigger for instance vehicles used by craftsman and of course providing parking space for people with mobility impairments. A central pedestrian platform connects directly to the perron area, complemented by safe, well-marked pathways that facilitate easy navigation between parking sections. Detailed flow analysis guided a circulation design that enhances pedestrian safety, with dedicated front parking for users with mobility impairments. Pathways were meticulously designed with universal access considerations, including permissible slopes.
5. Prioritise operational continuity during construction to minimise user experience disruption
It’s crucial to minimise disruption during construction to cater to the continuous needs of users. This is particularly important in our efforts to sustain and enhance the existing carpooling habits of commuters.
Solution: We carefully elaborated a construction time plan to maximise the number of available and accessible parking lots combined with a signage and marking plan securing safe movements around the construction area. The new mobility hub area was only closed entirely for a very short period during asphalting.
At NIRAS, our comprehensive approach from concept to implementation ensures that mobility hubs deliver maximum value. Our close co-creation with the client and our integrated expertise and user-focused designs led to sustainable, efficient, and user-friendly transport solutions fulfilling everyone’s expectations. This is the first of its kind hub in Denmark and therefore, it is just natural to commit to a post-occupancy evaluation, identifying opportunities for improvement in order to assist our clients in the hub situated in Aalborg.
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