Seamless and Attractive Transfers to and within Public Transport Stations: Responsibilities, Characteristics and New Visions

Kurzfassung

For tackling societal, health and environmental challenges, it is desirable to increase public transport usage and make transfers to public transport stations attractive and seamless. The study explores which factors are important for an attractive station environment and who is responsible for planning attractive transfers. It focuses on the walk to or from the station and its forecourt. First, stakeholder workshops with practitioners were conducted. Second, an online survey about the station surroundings and transfers was conducted amongst users of two stations in Berlin, Germany. Third, interviews with users applying virtual reality were carried out. Users experience and discuss ‘new visions’ of the station’s forecourt with virtual reality, applying ‘digital Tactical Urbanism’. The survey data was analyzed by using descriptive analysis, the interview data by applying thematic coding. The findings show that cycling-/pedestrian-friendliness is not adequately addressed by practitioners. It is not clear who is responsible to provide attractive, seamless and safe station environments. Wayfinding, quality of the walking environment and safety are important issues of the transfer situation. The results help to understand the needs of users and stakeholders and deliver recommendations to strengthen the combination of walking and public transport by introducing the approach of ‘digital Tactical Urbanism’.