The Agence de mobilité durable de Montréal engaged our team to produce a mobility hub deployment guide. This guide reflects a strategic initiative to transform municipal parking lots into drivers of sustainable mobility, urban quality, and ecological transition. Developed in alignment with the Plan d’urbanisme et de mobilité 2050 (Urban planning and mobility plan), this guide aims to direct the rollout of a coherent network of mobility hubs across Montréal, providing practical alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles while enhancing the day-to-day experience of transportation network users.
Mobility hubs are designed as attractive, comfortable, and safe places, integrated into their surroundings and neighbourhood life. They bring together a range of sustainable mobility services such as bike sharing, car sharing, electric vehicle charging stations, secure bicycle parking, as well as amenities that support wayfinding, waiting, and user comfort. This concentration of services facilitates the use of different modes of transportation, while helping reduce reliance on solo driving.
The guide establishes a typology of hubs adapted to a variety of urban contexts, distinguishing between neighbourhood hubs, destination hubs, and intermodal hubs. Their deployment is based on equitable distribution across the territory, complementary to existing public transit networks and on-street services. Municipal parking lots are identified as priority sites, enabling a phased, controlled rollout aligned with the Agency’s operational capacity.
From a planning perspective, the guide outlines different levels of intervention, ranging from adding services to the complete environmentally responsible transformation of sites. Where conditions permit, hubs incorporate greening strategies, depaving, and sustainable stormwater management, helping to mitigate urban heat islands, enhance urban biodiversity, and improve public spaces. Special attention is given to universal accessibility, signage, lighting, and street furniture to provide inclusive and easy-to-navigate environments for all users.
The network rollout follows a structured and rigorous approach, organized into successive phases of planning, preliminary studies, design, implementation, and monitoring. This phased approach allows for adjustments based on local realities, budget constraints, and lessons learned from pilot projects. Clear governance and close collaboration between the Agency, the City of Montréal, boroughs, and partners provides project consistency and long-term sustainability.
Through this guide, the City of Montréal is equipping itself with a strategic and operational tool to optimize the use of its land assets, support the transition to more sustainable modes of transportation, and create functional, welcoming, and resilient urban spaces. The deployment of mobility hubs is therefore a key aspect of building a more accessible, lower-carbon city that is better suited to the current and future needs of its population.