Beijing has a well functioning metro system that shuttles hundreds of thousands of people to and from their places of home and work every day. However, beyond the station platform, there is another, more chaotic story at play. Often extremely busy, the station forecourts, walkways and surrounding public spaces are at best a dance of people, and at worst, an unsafe medley of people, bikes, cars, and buses.

The Tongzhou district wanted to rethink Liyuan Station to improve the experience for transit users and create a purposeful place for visitors and locals alike.

Responding to these challenges the Gehl team proposed a readjustment of spatial priorities favoring the natural flow of people walking and cycling, and clear ‘character’ areas to better define public space typologies, spatial functionality, amenities and behavioral nudges. This was combined with reconfigured bike and e-bike parking to overcome a key area of friction in accessing the station. By recognizing pedestrian flows and the required spatial capacity, in coordination with opportunities for ‘staying,’ the team created new opportunities for people to enjoy in the station area.