ABSTRACT

Railway station area redevelopment is becoming increasingly important throughout Europe. The borders of nation states are decreasingly important where economic mobility is concerned. Within the European Union, an open market is taking shape in which the freedom to transport goods, investment capital and business is more or less guaranteed. As a result, the meaning of distance between major railway station areas in Europe is becoming relative. In turn, this development implies an increase in competition between railway station areas within each nation state. But in the near future there will also be competition between station areas in Europe. When it comes to planning the redevelopment of railway station areas, factors of accessibility (by road, rail or water) no longer suffice. Other factors, such as social, cultural and environmental qualities must also be considered (Porter, 1990). Railway station area development as a planning problem is becoming increasingly complex as the number of relevant factors increases, the patterns of activities in the same area increase, and the existing physical surroundings have to be redeveloped. This is the reality for many railway station areas throughout Europe.