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Major mobility hubs like Utrecht Central and Rotterdam Central are increasingly attractive meeting places for individuals and businesses, offering desirable locations to live and work. Across the Netherlands, inspiring examples reflect the ambitions of the National Environmental Vision (NOVI). This guide provides valuable insights for those involved in mobility hub development.

The transformation of mobility hubs into vibrant urban centers is not straightforward. Overlapping challenges, numerous stakeholders, and the complex context of a hub make planning highly intricate. How can differing ambitions fit within a limited urban space? What processes are needed to achieve these goals? And how can hub development contribute to sustainable networks for mobility, economy, energy, and nature, while aligning with local, regional, and international developments?

Prepared under the MooiNL Program by the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK), this guide offers an overview of the various challenges involved, outlines different design solutions, and explains how these can be applied to a wide range of station areas. To make the most of available opportunities without overloading the immediate station surroundings with all ambitions, the guide considers the entire area within walking distance of the mobility hub, roughly 4 km².

This guide was created through collaboration with various parties involved in the development of mobility hubs in the Netherlands. It provides clear insights into the challenges and dilemmas at hand, as well as the spatial and design principles essential for developing urban hubs with high spatial quality. Additionally, the guide offers an initial framework for the process required to achieve this quality.

The guide does not provide ready-made solutions and does not introduce new national policies. Decisions at the local scale ultimately depend on the local context, with spatial planning choices made by local government officials. However, the guide sheds light on the decisions to be made and the spatial considerations behind them through a handbook and checklist. It also aids in developing and evaluating alternatives and options. By consolidating available knowledge, examples, and tools into a clear approach, the guide identifies missing instruments and offers recommendations for further development of the approach at both national and local levels.

As a supplement to existing literature, the guide explicitly focuses on design challenges in the wider areas surrounding mobility hubs. It is primarily intended for municipalities taking a leading role in these efforts. However, developing a mobility hub and station area always involves many different stakeholders. For a well-functioning mobility hub, the national government (Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management), ProRail, and transport operators work alongside provinces, transport regions, and municipalities. For the station district and the broader 4 km² area, numerous additional stakeholders come into play, including property owners, tenants, local residents, users, employees, and visitors. This guide offers valuable information for all these parties.

Through the MooiNL Program, the guide also provides input for departments and national programs developing policies related to mobility hubs. Examples include the Action Agenda for Mobility Hubs (Actie-agenda OV-Knooppunten) and the upcoming Spatial Planning Policy Document (Nota Ruimte).

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