Neighborhood mobility as a contribution to affordable housing

Which innovations will help make the transport revolution a success? Connected mobility in particular provides good approaches here: Mobility-as-a-Service, micromobility, automated and connected driving as well as optimized traffic planning and simulation are just a few examples that are intended to make the mobility of tomorrow more sustainable and climate-friendly. One mobility concept with potential lies in neighborhood mobility, which is becoming increasingly important for cities. In an interview with Sophie Stigliano, Director Urban Standards, we find out the background.

Bayern Innovativ: Why does the real estate industry play such an important role and to what extent does the mobility transition also represent an opportunity for it?

Sophie Stigliano: Every project development today requires careful mobility planning in order to ensure the transformation towards climate neutrality. It is very important to find a balance between parking spaces and mobility services and to manage them over the life cycle of the neighborhood. The more well thought-out the mobility concept is, the less investment is needed in parking spaces. 75 percent of journeys start from home. If we manage to contribute to urban climate targets through real estate-related mobility concepts, we will be one step closer to the mobility turnaround.

When it comes to neighborhood mobility, the term "mobility hub" is often used. What exactly does this mean?

Sophie Stigliano: A neighborhood mobility hub is a central point within a residential/commercial district that seamlessly connects various mobility services, such as sharing services, public transport services and active forms of mobility, such as cycling. Such a hub maximizes access to shared mobility offers and other important resources (e.g. parcel stations) directly in the district and facilitates access to different modes along the different mobility needs. It thus integrates infrastructure such as charging stations for electric vehicles and bicycles as well as strategies to promote the quality of stay.

You led the research project "Mobility Service Integration for the Real Estate Industry and Neighborhood Development" (MIIQ), which is part of the Bavarian Joint Research Program (BayVFP), together with partners. What were your specific tasks in the project and how did the research project help you in particular?

Sophie Stigliano: We came up with the idea. With Exxeta and ParkHere, we had competent partners at our side for software implementation and dynamic parking management. We coordinated the processes and contributed the basic idea of intelligent control and financing of mobility concepts in the real estate industry. One of the biggest challenges was to implement the logic of the mobility subscription structure in a technically stringent manner. The project helped us to develop practical solutions in the form of the Mobility Integration Management Platform (MIM), which can be directly applied in the real estate industry.

How does MIM work in practice and who is it particularly aimed at?

Sophie Stigliano: MIM is a digital platform and the heart of neighborhood mobility operations that was developed as part of this research project. The software is based on a business model with three main components: the neighborhood mobility company as an economic unit, the mobility services, such as shared mobility and parking space management, and the mobility subscriptions through which these services are marketed. MIM dynamically controls mobility services and parking space management and can be used flexibly in different types of neighborhoods, from mixed-use districts to commercial areas and residential properties. Thanks to its subscription structure, MIM helps to reduce dependence on subsidies in the long term and promote economic sustainability.

What is the added value of integrated mobility management?

Sophie Stigliano: It varies depending on the stakeholder: Developers benefit from the seamless integration of mobility solutions into real estate projects by saving construction costs and paying towards sustainability goals along Environmental Social Governance criteria (ESG) through CO2 reduction. In addition, the administration benefits from process consistency, legal certainty and long-term management. For users, individually customizable subscriptions, a closed user group and affordable, community-oriented alternatives to their own car offer clear advantages. Overall, the product enables intelligent management of parking space via a digital platform that links various mobility options and thus promotes the avoidance of private cars

As part of the research project, you tested the MIM software in Munich for three months. How did that go in concrete terms?

Sophie Stigliano: The test run in Munich provided us with valuable practical experience and data and made it clear how important it is to use this format to raise awareness of the topic of neighbourhood mobility among both users and the administration. We have just set up another temporary mobility station in Frankfurt with a housing developer, which we presented to interested parties. This allowed us to put the theoretical mobility concept into practice and give participants the opportunity to explore and test the functions and potential of the software for themselves. Further demo companies are currently being planned.

Finally, we would like to look to the future: What potential does the business model bring? What are the next steps?

Sophie Stigliano: By integrating cost-efficient and environmentally friendly real estate-related mobility solutions, the business model has the potential to change the real estate market in the long term. The aim is to develop a standardized model for integrated neighbourhood mobility that can be used in various neighbourhood developments. We are therefore working with relevant real estate developers and cities to anchor the principle in urban land-use planning from the outset.

That sounds like a sustainable mobility concept! Thank you for the interesting insights.