Decoding mobility hubs: Opportunities and risks underpinning their introduction for the contexts of transport and the wider society

Abstract

In an era, where, on the one hand, climate change constitutes a planet-defining threat but, on the other, technology provides unprecedented opportunities for connectivity, sharing and intelligence in transport, mobility hubs have emerged as a potential cornerstone for less car-dominated societies. Still in their infancy as a brand, mobility hubs promise to be visible, accessible, and integration-enabling spaces, where public transit, shared mobility, micromobility and active travel modes co-exist harmoniously alongside infrastructure facilities like charging and sharing stations. Yet, there are still genuine question marks around their implementation, functionality, urban fit and use. Can mobility hubs create opportunities to address effectively transport and even wider societal challenges? Are there any risks or potential side-effects when adopting them? This paper attempts to provide answers by critically reviewing the existing literature and conducting a thematic narrative analysis, identifying and contextualising the opportunities and risks behind mobility hubs' introduction, adoption and travel behaviour impact. According to our research mobility hubs, if designed appropriately, can assume positive roles becoming: an opponent for private car, a solution for any geography, a MaaS companion, a place of social abundance and a supporter of wider economy. If they are not, though, mobility hubs may be instead responsible for: environmental burdens, public indifference, discomfort by default, abuse of space and inequity problems. Our work provides a genuine platform for decoding the potential of mobility hubs exploring the often-neglected grey sides of this shared transport phenomenon by focusing not only in new, niche, shared micromobility-centric investments but also looking at rebranded transit-based mechanisms. If these opportunities are seized and side-effects avoided, then there could be a powerful business case for mobility hubs we argue.