Mobility Hubs, an Innovative Concept for Sustainable Urban Mobility?

Mobility hubs bring together, connect, and provide users with several modes of transport. Cities adopt them to help reach many objectives simultaneously, mainly the reduction of air pollution, congestion, and car ownership. Each mobility hub is unique, but many of them have similar characteristics that allow them to be classified. Various typologies exist. Although the mobility hub concept is flexible, the implementation of a mobility hub adapted to the needs and objectives can sometimes be complicated, as it requires many steps and may face difficulties at each step. Despite the simplicity of the mobility hub concept, they seem to be an interesting, complex, and challenging topic to investigate.

Mobility hubs play a crucial role in the framework of proximity and also 15-minute city by facilitating access to multiple transportation options within a short distance from where people live and work. They contribute to making essential services and amenities easily reachable, reducing reliance on private cars, and promoting more sustainable modes of travel such as cycling, walking, and public transit. This helps to create a more accessible, livable, and environmentally friendly urban environment, aligning perfectly with the objectives of the 15-minute city model, which prioritizes proximity, accessibility, and reduced travel times.

As part of the Interreg Mobi-Mix project, we have taken a close look at mobility hubs. Based on bibliographic research and discussions with experts and cities, we established a state of the art that will help to better understand the concept. Without focusing on economic aspects, cities will benefit from different European experiences and a number of recommendations for a better implementation of mobility hubs.