Mobility Hubs Are Helping to Create Density

Alan Pullman, the founding principal at Studio One Eleven has partnered with Southern California Metro and the Department of Transportation to create a mobility hub at the Bloc in DTLA. The hub includes a parklet with seating, high-security bike locks, ride-share stops and kiosks to provide real-time transit information. These hubs could be the key to increasing density and creating more efficient transit in the city. We sat down with Pullman for an exclusive interview to talk about the mobility hub and how it could be a game changer.

GlobeSt.com: Tell me about the mobility hub.

Alan Pullman: Mobility hubs provide multi-modal options for connecting transit riders to their destinations. In regions such as Southern California, even with a rapidly growing rail system, trip origin and destination points may not be within walking distance of each other. Providing multiple options to make these “first mile/last mile” connections is the purpose of mobility hubs and is critical to the creation of a functioning mobility system. While the concept of mobility hubs can take on many forms, hubs typically include bike sharing and parking, shuttle, jitney and car sharing services, in close proximity to public transportation stations. The Cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach are currently sponsoring a specific program to implement 13 primary hubs and 85 satellite hubs throughout a number of bus and rail stations throughout the Los Angeles County region.

GlobeSt.com: How are mobility hubs helping to create density, and build the future of smart cities?

Pullman: In built-out and congested cities, increasing transit and non-automobile options is an imperative to sustainably grow. Decreasing our reliance on cars and increasing support for transit and active transportation options reduces transport based carbon emissions, roadway congestion, and it can increase community health outcomes. In addition, mobility hubs are considered part of Smart City planning because they also include digital portals and applications that tie into public and private transportation systems for services such as reservations, pricing and trip planning.

GlobeSt.com: How do mobility options benefit real estate and real estate development?

Pullman: While the car will for the foreseeable future be a major component of mobility in most cities, in many urbanizing areas providing parking and mitigating car trips is becoming increasingly expensive. Relaxed parking regulations, the rise of car sharing and other on-demand transportation platforms, and improvements to pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, supported by mobility hub concepts, are allowing owners to plan for a future that’s less car and parking dependent, freeing up valuable real estate for more productive uses.

GlobeSt.com: How can these mobility hubs increase job opportunities?

Pullman: An important funding factor in the Mobility Hub program being rolled out by the Cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach is federal funding for job accessibility aimed at low-income individuals who are often the most disadvantaged regarding job accessibility. Giving these potential employees less expensive and convenient job access is a critical co-benefit to the program.

GlobeSt.com: Why are public-private partnerships the best pathway to build mobility hubs?

Pullman: The private sector develops and builds the majority of destinations that transit serves, such as housing, office and retail. The private sector is also is able to provide supportive transit services, such as transit supportive retail and amenities. Having the private sector manage and design mobility hubs is an effective and efficient way to increasing mobility in our cities.

GlobeSt.com: Are you seeing more retailers adopting mobility hubs?

Pullman: Access has always been critical in getting customers, and employees, to retail destinations. There’s been an increase in retail centers and main-street retail districts making room for car sharing drop offs and pickups, bike friendly amenities such as bike lanes and secure parking, and pedestrian amenities that better link to transit. All of these are mobility hub concepts, and many of them are being driven by changing customer demographics and preferences that are less car-focused and more accepting of different modes of transport.

Our mission at Studio One Eleven is to create more liveable, sustainable and engaging cities. We recently spearheaded a study called “The Streets” defined as the six-blocks including where our offices occupy space. The area was previously a declining shopping center. In order to anchor and kick-start the revitalization of the area, our firm worked with more than 130+ design professionals and has garnered millions in investments in the area for tenant and street improvements and off-site private investments. The firm’s strengthened connection to the city has also resulted in public and private partnerships with organizations like the City of Long Beach and California State University, Long Beach. The resulting developments including with area retailers are appearing all over the six-block vicinity and increasing the overall foot-traffic of the downtown area. We know that as areas become more bikeable and walkable and transit-friendly, like this, so do the opportunities for retailers increase; it’s becoming the way of the future.