As part of the Young Innovators programme of the Board of Government Advisors, we collaborated with the municipality of The Hague on a research-by-design project exploring Multifunctional District Hubs – mobility hubs as meeting places in Southwest The Hague.

Mobility Transition as Part of the Densification Challenge
Southwest The Hague – one of the largest post-war districts in the Netherlands – is facing a major densification challenge. For the municipality of The Hague, a mobility transition is a necessary component of this challenge. Mobility infrastructure takes up a significant portion of public space, and changes to the current system are essential to safeguard quality of life, accessibility, health and road safety. Public space must also become more resilient to changing weather conditions and serve as a place for recreation, sports and social interaction. This calls for a shift in how mobility and spatial development are intertwined.

The Age of the Automobile
Still, the car remains dominant. Car ownership is often viewed as the norm – and for many, particularly in Southwest The Hague, it is a necessity rather than a luxury. Residents rely heavily on cars to commute and to reach destinations not served by public transport. We are, however, in a transitional period: the era of the survival of the fastest is gradually giving way to the survival of the slowest. The District Hub has the potential to support and accelerate this shift.¹

Multifunctional District Hubs
More than parking facilities, these hubs can serve as engines of urban quality. By integrating public services, entrepreneurial spaces and facilities that support climate adaptation and energy transitions, mobility hubs can add value and give back to their surrounding districts.Flexible structural frameworks and generous floor heights ensure adaptability over time. While these hubs may initially involve higher costs, their longevity and multifunctionality justify the investment. We developed three distinct spatial proposals for different sites in Southwest The Hague:

Willem Dreespark, Moerwijk
At Willem Dreespark, the hub marks the beginning of a broader area development. It accommodates a wide range of functions and merges the district’s mobility and social programmes within an open, adaptable structure. Extra-high floors house modular, enclosed volumes, allowing for future reconfiguration. Integrated into a public transport hub, this facility offers a new space for current users of the existing mixed-use site.

De Zichten, Bouwlust-Vrederust
The hub in the De Zichten area development is a compact vertical machine. Its design prioritizes light and sight lines for nearby homes, while preserving as much public space as possible. External staircases wrap around the parking tower, making the structure legible and accessible. The ground floor features a large covered public space, with a flexible, multi-purpose space above. This hub will become a distinctive landmark for the area.

Northeast Morgenstond
In Northeast Morgenstond, the hub introduces a dynamic roofscape – essentially a second ground floor on the roof. Interconnected building volumes form an elevated street level, with car and pedestrian routes weaving across bridges and broad communal walkways. The street level itself offers ample room for greenery and additional uses. By approaching the hub at the area level rather than as a single building, expensive features like ramps and car lifts can be shared. As parking needs evolve, space can be repurposed for green areas or housing.

These three hubs go beyond simply improving parking facilities—they introduce a new concept: the Multifunctional District Hub as a catalyst for social cohesion, environmental resilience and urban transformation.