Walkable cities, short distances, green spaces: How sustainable architecture is transforming our mobility
We should ask ourselves: How do we move – and why? The way we move and the decisions we make along the way don’t just shape our cities – they also affect our quality of life, our climate, and our future. How can sustainable architecture contribute to a mobility transition? Read on to explore concepts and concrete approaches.
The transport sector is one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Germany. That’s why it's essential to prioritize climate targets using the highest ecological and technological standards with environmentally friendly alternatives.
With less traffic and fewer traffic jams, we can use our time better – for family, sports, culture. More contact with nature, more social encounters and more physical activity significantly improve our quality of life.
On average, commuters in Germany spend around 202 hours per year traveling to work – including about 40 hours stuck in traffic, which adds strain and extends the daily commute.
Less traffic means more life – for us, our cities, and our climate.
The focus lies on avoiding traffic, shifting to other modes of transport, and integrating systems – to create more options for walking, cycling, and public transport.
For various reasons – convenience, speed, privacy, and a lack of investment in public transport – many people still prefer to drive. The car remains the most popular mode of transport in Germany: 65% of commuters use it to get to work.
Habits are deeply rooted. That’s why awareness-raising measures are crucial to changing behavior – and making environmentally friendly mobility options more attractive.
Thanks to offers like the Deutschlandticket, the use of public transport has steadily increased. Still, only 16% of people choose it for their daily commute.
Germany already has a cycling-friendly mindset: over 80% of Germans use a bicycle, and 55% consider it an essential mode of transport.
Sustainable architecture can not only preserve but also strengthen this mindset!
How can sustainable architecture influence the mobility transition?
Sustainable architecture designs cities and spaces that support sustainable mobility, reduce motorized private transport, lower CO₂ emissions, conserve resources and land – while making mobility accessible and affordable for all.
Planning a sustainable city means:
- Car-free cities and zones: more space for pedestrians and cyclists. This promotes health, improves quality of life, reduces noise and air pollution, and creates spaces for encounters, communication, sports, and recreation.
- The city of short distances or the 15-minute city: all essential services and amenities are within a 15-minute walk or short bike ride from home – reducing the need for cars and allowing people to handle daily tasks quickly.
- Mobility-as-a-Service: different transport modes are integrated into a single app or platform – reducing the need for private vehicle ownership.
- Multimodal transport hubs: modern bike parking facilities and mobility stations connect various forms of transport and allow for easy transitions.
- Sustainable materials and energy: planning transport infrastructure using timber and designing energy-efficient buildings powered by renewables.
- Optimizing land use and existing infrastructure: minimizing new transport surfaces to create more green spaces, recreational areas, or social infrastructure.
The mobility transition begins with the city layout – and with bold planning.
One example of a future-oriented urban district that promotes the mobility transition is Fahlberg-List.
Residents there will have access to a daycare center, shops, and restaurants directly within the neighborhood – a short-distance city concept that strengthens the sense of community.
A district app (digital neighborhood management) will connect all services and offerings – as part of a comprehensive smart city approach.
There will be a wide range of mobility options, aiming to minimize motorized private transport. Thanks to this variety of alternatives, a walkable city will emerge – a city designed for walking.
Additionally, green spaces and pathways along the Elbe will be integrated into the district. The riverside promenade will be renatured with natural access points along the Elbe.
The mobility transition is not just a transportation issue – it's also a task for architects, urban planners, engineers, and the real estate sector.
Architecture can do more than build – it can move us.
The forward-looking transformation starts now – with solutions that protect the climate and reduce noise, support biodiversity and health, and at the same time create more quality of life: through cleaner air, social spaces, and sports areas.
In your opinion, what role can architecture play in the mobility transition?
together we shape the future
References
- Die Mobilitätswende: Herausforderungen und Perspektiven. Zeitschrift Luxemburg.
https://zeitschrift-luxemburg.de/artikel/die-mobilitaetswende/ - Umweltbundesamt (2023): Wertewandel und Wissensbildung – Kurzstudie im Rahmen des Projekts „Nachhaltige Mobilitätswende“.
https://www.umweltbundesamt.at/fileadmin/site/publikationen/dp177.pdf - ISOE – Institut für sozial-ökologische Forschung: Können Mobilitätsexperimente die Wende voranbringen?
https://www.isoe.de/publikation/mobilitätswende-können-mobilitätsexperimente-die-wende-voranbringen - Fraunhofer IESE Blog: Mobilitätswende 2030 – Wie sieht die Zukunft aus?
https://www.iese.fraunhofer.de/blog/mobilitaetswende-2030/ - Die Zeit (2024): Mobilitätswende – Verkehr, Klimaschutz, Tempolimit, Parkgebühren.
https://www.zeit.de/2024/30/mobilitaetswende-verkehr-klimaschutz-tempolimit-parkgebuehren - Utopia: E-Mobility und mehr – Was die Mobilitätswende außerdem braucht.
https://utopia.de/ratgeber/e-mobility-und-mehr-was-die-mobilitaetswende-ausserdem-braucht_687325/ - Greeen! Architects: Elbhafen Magdeburg – Nachhaltige Architekturprojekte.
https://www.greeenarchitects.eu/projekte/elbhafen-magdeburg/
