New research project to explore the station environments of the future

Every year, 1.5 billion journeys are made on Sweden’s regional public transport network. In many cases, people pass through stations and waiting areas. How these environments are experienced can influence both people’s well-being and their willingness to choose public transport over driving.

– Traveling is a physical activity that involves emotional and sensory experiences. Emotions are involved in all forms of movement and place-based experiences, and public transport also entails sharing space with others, says Victoria Sjöstedt, architect and lecturer at SLU.

Investigating stations using new methods

The project will examine three types of stations along the Malmö commuter rail line:

• At-grade stations with elevated platforms
• Stations built in cuttings with sunken platforms
• Underground stations with overhead structures

Reference examples from other parts of Sweden and from the Copenhagen Metro will also be included.

The researchers will combine ethnographic methods, environmental psychology, and design research to understand how people use and experience stations in their everyday lives.

The work will be based on observations, interviews, surveys, and visual methods such as photography and audiovisual documentation. Pilot observations and an initial QR-code-based survey are already being conducted at stations along the Malmö commuter rail line.

– What happens in a station is shaped both by the physical environment and by the people present. Sound, light, movement, and social situations interact and influence the overall experience, says Victoria Sjöstedt.

Previous studies have identified factors such as maintenance, the surrounding environment, greenery, architecture, urban activity, and perceived safety and security as central to how station environments are perceived.

– Although passenger satisfaction surveys exist, they do not capture the full picture of how public transport spaces are experienced. We lack knowledge about how station environments influence travelers’ overall experience of a journey and which aspects of the physical environment contribute to positive impressions, says Victoria Sjöstedt.

A key question in the project is how the same environment can be experienced differently depending on the individual and their circumstances.

– What feels safe and welcoming to one person may be experienced completely differently by someone else. We want to understand how station environments work for people with different backgrounds and varying mobility needs, says Victoria Sjöstedt.

Are there clear differences between smaller and larger stations in terms of how people experience them?

– That is something we want to investigate. We see a distinction between urban stations and more peripheral stations in less densely populated areas, where urban stations have greater potential to function both as transport hubs and as public spaces. We are particularly interested in the potential of developing urban stations as public places.

Which stations are particularly successful?

– Malmö Central station is often mentioned as a station that is popular among travelers. We do not yet know exactly why, and that is something the project aims to explore further.

Artistic installations to test new ideas

Insights from the study will be translated into spatial designs through sketches, models, and other artistic methods. These will be used to create temporary installations within station environments.

– Through artistic methods, we can investigate how changes in, for example, lighting, sound, or materials affect how people move through and respond to a particular environment. Artistic approaches make the emotional dimension visible. They also encourage participation and critical reflection on these environments, says Victoria Sjöstedt.

Previous work in Malmö, where an artistic installation was placed at bus stops, showed that such interventions can change how a place is perceived and create new forms of social interaction.

Project launch and challenges

The project began in spring 2026 and will run until 2029. During the first year, interviews, surveys, and spatial assessments will be conducted.

One challenge involves obtaining permits in station environments, where responsibility for different parts of the infrastructure is divided among multiple stakeholders.

– Station environments are complex places to work in because every intervention must be coordinated and approved by several different actors, says Victoria Sjöstedt.

Design tool for the stations of the future

Ultimately, the project will result in a design tool containing guidelines for integrating people’s emotional and sensory experiences into the planning and design of station environments. The tool will be applicable both to new construction projects and to the redevelopment of existing stations.

– Knowledge about how emotional and sensory factors influence the experience of station environments can provide a stronger foundation for creating places where different groups of people can coexist and function side by side, says Victoria Sjöstedt.

The researchers also believe that the project’s methods and approach could be valuable in other types of public environments where people move through and spend time together.

Contact

Victoria Sjöstedt
victoria.sjostedt@slu.se