Developing station communities : Alternative approaches and perspectives on access

The region of Västra Götaland has investigated the possibility of opening a number of new train stations in the region, with the aim of strengtheninglocal labour markets and promoting sustainable commuting possibilities anddevelopment outside of metropolitan areas. This article explores the possibleimpacts of this directive on the development of sustainable and vibrantcommunities, with a focus on urban form and its configurative properties.Today, there is almost unanimous agreement within planning practiceregarding the use of ‘concentric centrality’ as a model for urban developmentnear stations, whereby high densities are encouraged within one kilometre ofstations. In this article, the relevance of the Station Proximity Principle (andits use in the Transit-Oriented Development, or TOD, model) is questionedwith respect to small communities. Taking Svenshögen as an example, thearticle advocates taking landscape conditions, barrier effects, and visibilityand access in relation to key functions into account as well. A shift fromnode thinking to network thinking is needed. The alternative approach putforward here draws on space syntax theories and point-line-field conditions,opening up design strategies that are relevant for small communities and thattake aspects crucial for their development and viability into considerationand avoid a narrow focus solely on transportation aspects.Part of book: ISBN 978-91-983797-5-4, QC 20230117Co-creative urban planning for energy-efficient and sustainable station communitiesApplied Urban Design, KT