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Walk-In focuses on the relation between architectural design practice and mobility, as being the driver for change towards the sustainable development of our cities. The project has taken the small suburban stations in Rotterdam South area as a testbed for the exploration.
The researchers, member of the group of Complex Projects at the Department of Architecture, teamed up with several Dutch public and private partners and the creative industry. Those are: the City of Rotterdam, Deltametropolis Association, De Zwarte Hond, PosadMaxwan, Mecanoo, Bureau Spoorbouwmeester, the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Water Managemet, the rail infrastructure manager Prorail. It sees also the French collaboration of the University of Gustave Eiffel and AREP Paris-based design office. The consortium partners form a new network of researchers and professionals in the creative industry, experts of design of stations and public space. The network also expanded throughout the project activities. The program of the final event held in January 2023 can be download here. The final outputs of the Walk-In project are: the ‘Design Toolbox’ (in progress, TU Open Publishing), the publication ‘Transit Stations: Sub-centers in Rotterdam Zuid’ as result from the students involvement in the research project within the City of Innovations course (2022), the contribution to the Dutch Design Week ‘22 in Eindhoven with the exhibition of the Walk-In model mock-up and the article in the magazine ‘Collaboration for Impact’.
In the Dutch National Environmental Vision the societal challenge of building sustainable 1 million homes by 2035, is associated to the energy and mobility transitions. New living and working locations are mapped on existing urbanized sites - mainly at catchment areas of public transportation (PT) nodes or stations – and connected to good accessibility. The stations of the future become hubs, where you can transfer from one mode of transport to another, and find places to meet up, work, exercise and eat. In order to reduce congestions and CO2 emissions, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management has developed a vision on the future of public transport in PT 2040 based on Door-to-Door solutions. This requires the development of new city policies in the field of bicycle and car parking, shared mobility systems, environmental zones (car-free) and public space design. The hubs are important enablers of the mobility transition (promoting the transition from car to PT or bike, in combination with shared mobility to be prepared for a post-pandemic phase). Most stations do not meet the new mobility requirements and face problems such as lack of space for bicycle parking and shared modes, as well as lack of public space. How to improve mobility transition, make it seamless and create public space for more inviting and attractive stations for people and with less cars?
WALK-IN will develop a toolkit for designers which provide generic guidelines and spatial solutions for the integration of sustainable mobility in public space at PT nodes. The toolkit is developed between and with academia, public and private partners. The project aims to develop a new network and an EU funding proposal on Energy transition and Sustainability or for the forthcoming Driving Urban Transitions program from the Joint Program Initiative Urban Europe.