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Mobility System Design
Project Brief
The project focused on designing a future mobility system for a municipality in Rotterdam, looking 20 years into the future. Conducted at TU Delft in collaboration with the Municipality of Rotterdam, the project explored how mobility could evolve to create a more connected, accessible, and sustainable city. Working collaboratively with four other students, we researched current mobility trends, identified people’s needs and challenges, and explored how individual and collective modes of transportation could work together. Based on our research, we envisioned a desirable future mobility system and developed design ideas to support this vision.
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The Project in 6 Phases
Understanding the community and experiences, while also exploring current mobility patterns and how people move through Rivium.
RESEARCH
Identifying political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors that could influence the future development of Rivium.
Exploring emerging social, technological, environmental, and mobility trends to understand how broader developments could shape Rivium in the future.
DESIGN
Bringing the research together to define the main design challenge, objectives, target users, and key requirements for the project.
Translating the research and insights into design concepts that respond to the needs of the community and the future development of Rivium.
Presenting the final vision for Rivium through a completed video and supporting materials, alongside an introduction to ORCA.
1. Community Engagement
We visited Rivium to conduct interviews with local residents to understand the atmosphere and daily rhythms of the area. On-site observations helped identify the dominant modes of transportation and provided insight into how people move through and interact with the neighborhood. Photographs taken during the visit were then used to create a collage, capturing the overall feel of the area.
Rivium On-Site
Interviews
"It’s a calm and peaceful neighborhood, but it lacks convenient amenities like supermarkets and shops."
- Old woman walking dog
“I live in Rivium’s residential area, work in the commercial area, and leave Rivium on weekends to spend time with friends.”
“I live in Rivium and I go to work to Rotterdam Central by bike and waterbus.”
- Man in his mid 20s
- Man about to take the Waterbus
Overall Atmosphere
Rivium has a routine-driven atmosphere, where daily life can feel like a cycle of going to work and returning home.
Rivium has a quiet, spacious atmosphere, with wide roads and mainly office buildings rather than the energy of a busy urban area.
Rivium still feels monofunctional and focused on work, with limited places to shop, eat, or socialize, but the area is still developing.
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Current mobility system
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Rivium
Residential Area
Commercial Area
The highway separates Rivium’s commercial and residential areas, making them feel disconnected. With limited public transportation, commuting between the two areas relies mainly on cars, biking or the ParkShuttle (autonomous).
Metro Line-A
Metro Line-B
Metro Line-C
ParkShuttle
WaterBus
2. PESTLE Analysis
Using a PESTEL analysis helps identify the opportunities that could affect Rivium and supports better decisions for creating a sustainable and successful neighbourhood in the future.
POLITICAL: Rivium will receive government support for its future development. The project will involve partnerships between different organisations. New laws will guide how Rivium is developed.
ENVIRONMENTAL: Rivium will promote clean transport such as cycling and public transport. The area will have more green spaces and trees. New buildings will use sustainable designs.
SOCIAL: Rivium will become where people can live and work. Residents will have opportunities to share their ideas about the plans. New schools, shops and public spaces will be added.
TECHNOLOGICAL: Rivium will use autonomous transport such as the ParkShuttle. Smart technology will help create a sustainable neighbourhood. Shared transport will help reduce car use.
ECONOMICAL: Rivium will have better transport connections for residents and businesses. The development will support economic growth. More homes, jobs and businesses will be created.
LEGAL: Rivium must follow land-use regulations. New buildings must meet safety and sustainability rules. There will also be rules about parking, noise and sunlight.
Future changes to the city
More residents + amenities + green space + shared/public mobility
3. Global Trends
3.1 Researching context factors at both the Global and Rivium levels helps us understand the major changes that may influence the future.
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3.2 These context factors are then grouped and combined to identify trends.
3.3 By mapping these trends on a graph, we can determine which future developments are most plausible.
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These insights, together with what we have learned about Rivium’s future plans and development, are used to formulate a design goal for our mobility system. This ensures that the design responds to future changes, planned developments, and the needs of the area and its users.
3.1 Context Factors
3.2 Trends
.. and more
Resource-Conscious Living & Regenerative Development
Designing for an Inclusive and Unequal Society
Local Push for Sustainability Despite Political Challenges
Limited mobility reduces comfort and confidence.
Mobility becoming cleaner, shared, and less car-dependent
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3.3 Future Roadmap
Drivers / External factors
Trends
Future mobility changes
Mobility & Car Use​
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Fewer private cars
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Adoption of autonomous vehicles
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Mobility hubs
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More accessible personal/shared transporters
Electric & Energy
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EU EV market becomes more dominant
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Larger battery capacity → larger driving range
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Faster charging capabilities
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Faster trend adaptation
Environmental
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Lower emissions
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Lower demand for private parking
4. Design Brief
Current problem
Disconnected + car-dependent + monofunctional
More residents + amenities + green space + shared/public mobility
Future changes to the city
Future mobility changes
Adoption of autonomous vehicles and mobility hubs + EV & energy advances + Easier access to personal and shared transport options + Inclusive vehicle
Connect & Integrate Rivium
Create a seamless mobility network connecting residential, commercial, and social areas with the ParkShuttle, Waterbus, bikes, walking, and future mobility.
Reduce Car Dependency
Provide convenient alternatives to private cars through shared, autonomous, and public transportation.
Make Mobility Inclusive
Design transportation that is accessible, affordable, and convenient for different users, including those who cannot or do not want to drive.
Design Opportunity
Design Statement
We envision a more independent Rivium by creating a place where people can live, work, and move freely without relying on private cars, supported by an convenient public mobility network that enables greater freedom to move and connect.
5. Designing for Rivium
Created a 3D-printed model of Rivium’s future development.
Using yarn to envision future mobility systems and map the paths, connections, and relationships they create.
Identify convenient routes and overlapping paths based on frequent destinations.
Fascinatio
4 additional public mobility modes
​​These insights, together with what we have learned about Rivium’s future plans and development, are used to formulate a design goal for our mobility system. This ensures that the design responds to future changes, planned developments, and the needs of the area and its users. o future changes, planned developments, and the needs of the area and its users.eeds of the area and its users. o future changes, planned developments, and the needs of the area and its users.
Examples of Journeys
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Fascinatio → Rivium Center
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Fascinatio → Rotterdam Center
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Outside of Rivium → Rivium Center
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South Rivium → Rotterdam Centre
Old Mobility System Map
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Metro Line-A
ParkShuttle
Metro Line-B
WaterBus
Metro Line-C
Reimagined Mobility System Map
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Metro Line-A
ParkShuttle
New
Metro Line-B
New
New
Metro Line-C
Reimagined
New Shared Vehicle and HUB
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2p
60p
10p
30p
50p
New Modalities
Capacity
Frequency/#
High
Medium
Low
Medium
Low
Ownership
Model
Shared
Public
Public
Public
Public
After deciding on the route for the new modalities, we defined the criteria for each one without first considering what they would actually look like. We also hadn’t yet decided whether they would be wheels or another form. At this stage, the goal was simply to establish a general foundation and approximate size for the modalities.
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Each member of the group was then assigned one modality to further develop based on these initial criteria. I was responsible for developing the water-navigation modality.
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For more on the development of the water-navigation modality, see ORCA.
Taking a closer look...
New Section for HUB
How we imagined the HUB would be like. The amenities and the shared vehicles and the hub.
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Shared Vehicle and HUB
This is what we envisioned the Port of Rivium and its mobility hubs looking like 20 years into the future, bringing together all the modalities we developed and showing how they could work together within the new mobility system.
This concludes the teamwork, research, and Rivium mobility system design section. Head back to ORCA to explore the water transport system.