Connectors : the way beyond transferring

Abstract

In the Netherlands, travellers transfer from one mode of transport to another millions of times a day. In all, billions of minutes are lost during these transfers. Most of this time is taken in actually moving from one mode of transport to another, waiting time at a stop or station, and time lost when connections are missed. Travellers are more concerned about transferring and waiting at stations or stops than by travelling itself. Uncertainties about finding and catching connections, or finding a place to sit, are major factors in assessing a transfer. This dissertation refers to locations where transfers occur, so called connectors, in accordance with their internal and external connecting functions. Connectors are connecting objects between various forms of transport (transfers), various destinations (connectivity), and the local urban fabric. The use of the term connector indicates that the transfer itself is the focal point of attention and not the meaning of the word station, i.e. stationary state of the vehicles or coaches. This dissertation offers a method for a better design of connectors. It puts research for design, i.e. seeking out possibilities by means of exploratory research, into practice. As Colquhoun stated (in Wesemael, 1991), intuitive design methods are no longer sufficient to meet today's complex designing tasks. The method consists of visual analysis techniques and the development and use of 'bodies of knowledge'. The graphic analysis methods developed specifically for connectors are based on the visual analysis techniques conventionally used by the Faculty of Architecture. These methods are applied in the 'Bodies of knowledge', thereby extending current knowledge by examining existing situations and design studies. Connectors - The Way beyond Transferring Using the methods developed and operationalized in this dissertation, all connectors can be evaluated, assessed and compared quite simply. These methods also offer possibilities for generating design proposals for connectors or modifications to existing situations.

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