UK: Network Rail and Arup have published ‘Tomorrow’s Living Station’, a report exploring the future role of stations in towns and cities, and how they might need to evolve to keep up with changing needs.
It considers three themes: stations as the centre of movement for people; stations supporting inclusive growth; and stations as the heart of a healthy community.
‘As traditional boundaries of space and place blur, increasing urbanisation and new technology is transforming the way we live, work and play’, said David Biggs, Managing Director of Network Rail Property. ‘Tomorrow’s Living Station is a concept we are proud to champion, and we believe that by being bold and thinking differently, it could realise a new and exciting chapter for future growth and prosperity’.
The report ‘sets out a way of thinking that incorporates the fundamental role of stations and railways in moving people safely but explores broader issues and opportunities for stations’, said Malcolm Smith, Arup leader in Integrated City Planning. ‘Rather than being a one-size-fits-all approach, we hope this document will help everyone involved in shaping the future of our stations to come up with their own specific ideas appropriate to the relevant station context.’
