URBANISATION III

URBANISATION AND MOBILITY

In urban planning, an urban movability lens is crucial. This approach prioritizes designing cities based on the primary mode of travel for different areas. While car-centric designs might be suitable for sparsely populated areas, supplemented by "last-mile" solutions, denser areas thrive with well-developed public transportation systems like buses, Light Rail Transit (LRT), or Mass Rapid Transit (MRT/MTR). Effective urban mobility planning also considers factors like walkability, cycling infrastructure. New battery driven single; two wheels transport offer a much more equitable mode of transport for the last mile around your home. Designing efficient catchment areas, and seamless integration between key urban infrastructure, offices and the likes and closely integrated with various transportation modes is very required from our urban and traffic planners and designers. This holistic approach fosters a city that is not only functional but also encourages sustainable and healthy travel choices.

WALKABILITY

Walkability is associated with health, sustainability, and livability, all of which are integral to smart city design. It has become a key indicator of urban design quality and is connected to the services a city must provide. In transportation planning, a six-minute walk to a transit point is considered a standard measure, which assists in defining the station's catchment or patronage area.

The above statement is a provocation!

Governments around the world will build transit systems & station irrespective of the commercial viability of a particular station or systems. Transportation is of course, considered to be an important public service & subsidised by the tax collection.

For transport planning purposes this walkability radius is an important yardstick. The catchment radius differs on the country, city or the system's design view. there is no one yardstick that is agreed by all!

Many Smart City studies show people are generally comfortable walking 5-10 minutes to transit stations, though climate plays a role. Walking 10 minutes in extreme heat might be a deterrent. However, growing awareness of global warming and the appeal of sustainable transportation make mass transit more attractive than ever.

The design of a stations, entrances play a significantly impacts user perception of the actual station location. The circular catchment radius for stations, in reality morphs and develops into a biomorphic catchment shape, where entrances have remote locations. Long, air-conditioned passageways can provide a comfortable walking environment, in all-weather condition, particularly during inclement weather, for the stations, increasing ridership.

However, such passageways can also be more expensive to construct, and may feel less inviting than open-air, at grade approaches. Which implies that seamless, weather protected connection via urban footbridges, shopping malls, etc at grade, or elevated areas is as effecient for transit system catchment increase.

If you see the diagram below left, the station entrances create the diagram mentioned above. Drawing passengers from the hinterland.

Picture this, the residents of the city could also use the entrance at the North-West side, walk through the system and exit out at the entrance at the South-East side, vice versa, etc. Transit facilities now become an urban street underground. Particularly empowering for disabled people who can use the barrier free arrangement to traverse the city. We see far too many transits system in Asia, and other parts of the world where the system is designed to leverage far less for its communities.

Fig. Diagrammatic layout of station with extended passageway and remote entrances

Fig. Diag. layout of HK station with extended catchment. Blue dot shows traditional catchment, red shows ext. catchment.

FIG Above right.The HK University Station, CATCHMENT

The catchment radius for the station entrance for HKU Station, West Island Line, Hong Kong (2014) makes interesting reading. One can see the long adits/passageways that connects to the hinterland.
This station disposition is on the North facing slopes of the Western district. The remote entrances are required to connect the deep stations to the distant catchment, plus also needed for traversing the vertical travel of the adits from the station box to entrance at grade.

The entrance catchment to the south (To HKU) works via the two lift-based entrances. It needs to be stated that the there is a few complaints from the students regarding the wait time required in these MTR lift lobbies. Station entrance planning shows the level of connections complexities, stations need to be designed to, to not only to enhance patronage, but also to meet the patronage demand from the community.

As the Architect responsible for the design of this station, it would be a good idea, if at all possible to go back and undertake some post occupancies study?

ToD PLANNING RADIUS

In most Transport Oriented Development (ToD), one sees the urban planning layout, with the station and its circular catchment radius. The disposition of the station may then be spread apart, or say every kilometre, if the density of the development and the patronage justifies this?

Fug. Planning radius diagram, superimposed on HK map

Fig. Map of Central region, HK. With location of stations

Similarly, the 1km station separation rule might not always be optimal. Many stations in Hong Kong are planned much closer together when justified by a strong business case or societal need, like Racecourse station, which only operates during race days. On the other hand, some stations can be farther apart.

The included map of Central, Hong Kong (Top right) illustrates this point. This area was planned much earlier, with the first station opening in the 1980s. Despite this, and the subsequent addition of two new stations in close proximity, the area thrives, partly thanks to the extensive network of footbridge links & transit stations as its pivot (Fig. Right), plus a high patronage generated by this being a CBD, etc.

The core message of the above diagram is how districts in city can come together and create a wonderful marriage of urban integration of transport, walkability, commerce, etc.

Source: The diagram of connectivity. Central, Hong Kong

Fig. Map of Mongkok area, HK. One of the most densely developed area in the world. Here the entrances fanning out to the hinterland makes limited sense, as patronage is very high. In such scenario, it may be prudent to let other modes of transport managed the last mile connection, instead of taking the entrances further.

Fig. Below. Shows most of Kowloon (With station catchment) on the west side.

To round up this section, Stations are entrances, the location of these entrances are as important as the stations that are being built. Station catchment is also vital. The above shows that catchment radius being important, or not important, it is a sensitive balance for station/traffic planning. Station and traffic planners have a very important role to play in this, where they need to deeply question the catchment and the disposition of the entrances.

Station also needs to work in close symbiotic relationship with the surrounding developments, and plan for an ever increasing growth of the mass transit ridership.

The UN Sustainability Development Goals.

Mass transit systems are often superficially categorized under SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure. However, their impact extends far beyond this, permeating nearly every critical human goal outlined by the UN. This underscores the pivotal role of urban mobility in shaping our present and future.

Sustainability is paramount for our global future and its urbanisation, and our critical infrastructure, including transit systems, must be designed accordingly. Mass transit offers numerous benefits to our cities and the world. For instance, it can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions (SDG 13), improve air quality and public health (SDG 3), and enhance accessibility to education and employment opportunities (SDG 4 and SDG 8). I would challange you to explore more relationship of mass transit to other goals too. It is possible.

By investing in efficient and accessible mass transit systems, we can create more sustainable, equitable, and resilient cities. It is imperative to prioritize public transportation in urban planning and policymaking to achieve the ambitious goals set forth by the UN.

Effective urban and station planning hinges on understanding catchment areas, and their needs throughout a project's lifecycle, from design to construction and even beyond. Even existing stations can significantly enhance the transit-oriented development (TOD) precinct if they can be adapted to accommodate the changing needs of the surrounding area. Imagine a new commercial development with a substantial ridership built adjacent to the station. This development could be connected directly to the station, either at the underground level or via new footbridges. Various buildings could link up to create a new network of passages, fostering synergy between walkability, built form, and the public's need for a convenient and accessible transit system.

The 17 United Nation Sustainable Development Goals

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