We should ask ourselves: how do we move—and why? The ways we get around and the choices we make not only shape our cities but also our quality of life, our climate, and our future. How can sustainable architecture contribute to a mobility transformation? 
Read on to explore concepts and practical approaches.

The transport sector is one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in Germany. That’s why it’s crucial to prioritize climate goals with environmentally friendly alternatives at the highest ecological and technological standards.

Less traffic and fewer traffic jams mean we can use our time better—for family, sports, and culture. More contact with nature, social interaction, and physical activity significantly increase quality of life.

In Germany, commuters spend an average of around 202 hours per year traveling to work—about 40 of those hours stuck in traffic, significantly extending and straining the commute.

Less traffic means more life—for us, our cities, and our climate.

The focus is on avoiding, shifting, and connecting traffic to offer more options for walking, cycling, and public transport.

For various reasons—convenience, speed, privacy, and underinvestment in public transport—many people continue to rely on cars. It remains Germany’s most popular mode of transport: 65% of commuters drive to work.

Habits are deeply ingrained. That’s why awareness-raising measures are critical to changing behavior and making environmentally friendly mobility more attractive.

The use of public transport has steadily increased thanks to attractive offers such as the Germany-wide ticket. Yet only 16% of people choose public transport for their daily commute.

Germany already has a bicycle-friendly mentality: over 80% of Germans use bicycles, and 55% consider them an indispensable mode of transport.

Sustainable architecture can not only preserve this mentality but also strengthen it further.

How can sustainable architecture influence the mobility transformation?

Sustainable architecture designs cities and spaces suited for sustainable mobility, reducing car traffic as well as CO₂ emissions, resource use, and space demand—while making mobility accessible and affordable for everyone.

Planning a sustainable city involves:

• Car-free cities and zones: More space for pedestrians and cyclists. This promotes health, increases quality of life, reduces noise and air pollution, and creates more opportunities for social interaction, walking, sports, and community life.
• The city of short distances / 15-minute city: All facilities and services are within a 15-minute walk or short bike ride from home, eliminating the need for a car and allowing daily errands to be completed quickly.
• Mobility-as-a-Service: Various modes of transport are combined in a single app or platform, reducing the need to own a vehicle.
• Multimodal transport hubs: Modern bicycle parking facilities and mobility stations connect different transport modes for seamless transfers.
• Sustainable materials and energy: Designing transport infrastructure using timber and energy-efficient buildings powered by renewable energy.
• Reuse and space optimization: Minimizing new transport surfaces frees up space for green areas, recreation, or social infrastructure.

The mobility transformation starts with urban design—and bold planning.

An example of a forward-looking city quarter promoting the mobility transformation is Fahlberg-List.

Residents will have a daycare, shops, and restaurants directly within the neighborhood—a 15-minute city approach that strengthens community ties.

A neighborhood app (digital district management) will connect all services and offerings as part of a comprehensive smart city concept.

There will be a wide variety of transport options aimed at minimizing car traffic. This diverse range of alternative mobility solutions creates a walkable city, designed for pedestrians.

Additionally, green spaces and paths along the Elbe will be integrated into the quarter, and the Elbe riverside will be renaturalized with nature-friendly access along the promenade.

The mobility transformation is not just a transport issue—it concerns architects, urban planners, engineers, and the real estate sector.

Architecture can do more than build—it can move people.

The forward-looking transformation starts now—with solutions that promote climate and noise protection, biodiversity, and health, while enhancing quality of life through cleaner air, meeting spaces, and sports facilities.

What role do you think architecture can play in the mobility transformation?

Together we shape the future

References

1. Die Mobilitätswende: Herausforderungen und Perspektiven. Zeitschrift Luxemburg.
   https://zeitschrift-luxemburg.de/artikel/die-mobilitaetswende/
2. Umweltbundesamt (2023): Wertewandel und Wissensbildung – Kurzstudie im Rahmen des Projekts „Nachhaltige Mobilitätswende“.
   https://www.umweltbundesamt.at/fileadmin/site/publikationen/dp177.pdf
3. ISOE – Institut für sozial-ökologische Forschung: Können Mobilitätsexperimente die Wende voranbringen?
   https://www.isoe.de/publikation/mobilitätswende-können-mobilitätsexperimente-die-wende-voranbringen
4. Fraunhofer IESE Blog: Mobilitätswende 2030 – Wie sieht die Zukunft aus?
   https://www.iese.fraunhofer.de/blog/mobilitaetswende-2030/
5. Die Zeit (2024): Mobilitätswende – Verkehr, Klimaschutz, Tempolimit, Parkgebühren.
   https://www.zeit.de/2024/30/mobilitaetswende-verkehr-klimaschutz-tempolimit-parkgebuehren
6. Utopia: E-Mobility und mehr – Was die Mobilitätswende außerdem braucht.
   https://utopia.de/ratgeber/e-mobility-und-mehr-was-die-mobilitaetswende-ausserdem-braucht_687325/
7. Greeen! Architects: Elbhafen Magdeburg – Nachhaltige Architekturprojekte.
   https://www.greeenarchitects.eu/projekte/elbhafen-magdeburg/