ENTER.HUB Final Event

The core part of the event will be the round table where the 12 partners and experts will exchange about the six definitions given by the Lead Expert for a High Speed Hub in a medium sized city:

An Urban & Architectural Icon
Designing an HSR HUB does not just involve designing a contemporary railway station. It is a process of reconfiguration of a large accessible shared public space connecting the Hub with the city and giving priority to walking and biking activities, and to public transportation. Defining a Hub is a way to connect local and global, to connect speed and slowness, city centre and catchment area, midsize cities and metropolitan areas. That is to bring together all kinds of people, places and activities.

An Urban Backbone
Defining a Hub is a way to connect local and global, to balance / connect speed and slowness, city centre and catchment area, midsize cities and metropolitan areas. A Hub brings together all kinds of people, places and activities into a universal walking public space.

A place for all Stakeholders and Users 
The programming and the design of an HSR HUB is every stakeholder and user’s business. This statement needs strong political and professional will to set up a participation system from the very beginning and all along the project process especially before any decision making. This process is the unique way towards appropriation of the final implementation by all users: all categories of citizens, tourists, service providers, business companies, etc.

A Net of Services
An HSR Hub produces new services inside and in its neighbourhood, some of which are linked to mobility but most of them are dedicated to business, retail, leisure, tourism... It attracts people, offers them diverse activities and brings added value to these services. The Hub is no longer a mere facility dedicated to mobility, its interior space becomes public and widely open toward the urban space, its borders becoming imprecise.

A Red Carpet
An HSR HUB has an important function to regulate the flows of circulation and to link together all kinds of traffic. Still, one of its main issues is to give priority to pedestrians and other green modes. The result for the visitors as well as for the residents should be to get the feeling that a “red carpet” has been permanently rolled out for them. A concept of a red carpet is an invitation to walk or cycle along the main resources of the city and penetrate easily and pleasantly into its heart.

A City Lounge
The development of an HSR HUB can transform the inner city into a “city lounge”. Inside and around the station, the public space becomes a high quality place for locals, residents, business travellers, etc. based on an attractive and better public space, including programme objectives such as: smart economy, city centre living, culture and leisure or connected city.