Redefining Public Spaces: Smart Mobility and Multifunctional Urban Hubs

Recognising public spaces as dynamic, adaptable ecosystems is crucial to creating multifunctional urban hubs. From Helsinki's mobility-as-a-service platform to Paris’s revolutionary "15-minute city" and Seoul’s “Seoullo 7017”, a linear sky garden with multifunctional spaces that attract 64,000 daily visitors and have increased adjacent property values by 11%, leading metropolises are pioneering innovative approaches that blur traditional boundaries between transportation, commercial activity, and social interaction. Regionally, Abu Dhabi is emerging as a distinctive laboratory for next-generation public spaces through initiatives like the Smart & Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) cluster. The SAVI program creates a multi-modal ecosystem for developing autonomous vehicles across air, land, and sea, potentially generating 30,000-50,000 jobs and contributing AED 120 billion to the UAE economy. As cities worldwide confront challenges from climate change to social fragmentation, multifunctional, smart-enabled public spaces will become increasingly vital to urban resilience and quality of life. The future lies in harmonising elements to create public realms that enhance both individual well-being and collective prosperity.