Urban mobility: A key focus at TU Graz

Students make a contribution to the Mobility Lab with models for active mobility in Graz, and are supported by local and international experts. In addition there are public talks.

Bicyclists dressed for summer on the city bicycle path parallel to a moving suburban train on a rail bridge.

The Architecture Master’s Studios are dedicated to bicycle paths through Graz in the summer semester; traffic aspects and bicycle infrastructure are also to be taken into account. Experiences of experts from the Netherlands, such as Sjors van Duren, with urban bicycle infrastructure – seen in the photo from Nijmegen – inspire many students.

Towns with more bicycle and pedestrian traffic have higher quality of life and are also attractive for tourists since public spaces benefit from soft mobility. Cities such as Copenhagen, Arnheim/Nijmegen and Rotterdam, who have redesigned their mobility concepts regarding bicycles and pedestrian traffic, have shown that this kind of active mobility has positive effects on health, environment and local business.

Impulses for the city region

The city region Graz is also developing new forms of urban mobility in its recently founded MOBILITY LAB GRAZ. <link _self int-link-internal internal link in current>Teaching in architecture at TU Graz is injecting new impulses in this year’s key focus on ‘fast cycle paths’. In the current summer semester, design theory, research practicals and seminars have committed themselves to the topic at the <link https: www.tugraz.at en institutes stdb home _blank int-link-external external link in new>Institute of Urbanism. ‘Through activities in teaching and research, we want to foster the great potential of urban fast cycle paths for Graz and greater Graz,’ explains Aglaee Degros, head of the Institute.

Lectures on bicycle mobility

Students will also experience input from external experts from the Netherlands, such as Sjors van Duren, Daan Roosegaarde and Daan Zandbelt, and also Christian Kozina from Graz and the MOBILITY LAB GRAZ in the framework of the lecture series ‘Bike Lectures’ on topics of bicycle mobility and infrastructure. The Netherlands’ embassy is supporting the talks – which are open to the public – in March, April and May. Further <link https: www.tugraz.at institute stdb aktuelles news _blank int-link-external external link in new>information on events at the Institute of Urbanism can be found on the Institute’s website.

Together with the Institute of Highway Engineering and Transport Planning, the Institute of Urbanism representing TU Graz at <link http: mobility-lab.at _blank int-link-external external link in new>MOBILITY LAB GRAZ – the urban mobility lab under the management of Holding Graz – is involved in implementing the innovation project for Graz. TU Graz initiated the key component of the mobility lab – the urban innovation spaces in St. Peter with an urban bicycle highway to the TU Campus and Graz-Gleisdorf along the suburban railway Graz-Gleisdorf axis to test new sustainable mobility forms and mobility technologies in real conditions. On top of this, MOBILITY LAB GRAZ is looking for ideas and innovations on mobility in the Graz city region in the framework of a <link http: mobility-lab.at start-der-mobilitaets-challenge _blank int-link-external external link in new>big Mobility Challenge in a large-scale public competition by 31st August.

Kontakt

Eva SCHWAB
Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn.
Institute of Urbanism | TU Graz
Rechbauerstraße 12, 2. Stock
8010 Graz, Austria
Tel.: +43 316 873 6282
<link int-link-mail window for sending>eva.schwab@tugraz.at

Urban mobility: A key focus at TU Graz