MOBILITY HUBS: THE FUTURE OF INTEGRATED TRANSPORT

Mobility hubs bring together shared and public transport with active travel in spaces designed to improve the public realm for all. The concept is widely applied in many European and North American cities, and mobility hubs are now increasingly popping up across the UK. These include those installed by Meristem, including one in Redbridge which has been awarded the UK's 1st Gold Accredited Mobility Hub by CoMoUK, and the Enfield Solar Panel-powered parklet which enables people to charge up devices such as mobile phones and tablets on site. The Redbridge hub is the first in the UK to meet the standards recently set by the national shared transport charity

Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK). The idea behind the hub was to use existing parking spaces to offer something new to the community; a place to meet, rest and refresh or interchange between cycling, car club hire and taking the Underground. The space is enjoyed by young families, over 60s walking groups, cyclists connecting with the train, dog walkers and anyone who cares about their High Street. It offers an electric car club bay, a community-led café, an outdoor seating area with bar stools, a water fountain, cycle parking, coffee tables, trees and plants. It provides wider transport connections via local underground stations and bus stops a few metres away.

In the UK, the switch from combustion engine to electric vehicles is moving fast, and there is a real need to provide more on-street car charging points. While drivers wait for their cars to be charged, hubs equipped with charging facilities offer the opportunity to grab a coffee or a bite to eat from the local shops and relax in the parklet, surrounded by plants and greenery.

Meristem Design provide a full service including design, fabrication, installation and maintenance: For more information email: info@meristemdesign.co.uk or call (0) 20 31376971