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Masterplan for Biel/Bienne Train Station

Creating a thriving public realm around Biel/Bienne’s train station

Sector

Civic & Public

Region

Europe

Timespan

2023

Train stations are vibrant yet challenging urban hubs, juggling the needs of diverse users, competing spatial demands, and complex infrastructure. Biel/Bienne’s bustling station area is no exception. With its unique character and growing demands, the area needs a strategic vision to stay relevant, resilient, and ready for future transformations. Credit: Tankstellenidau

Biel/Bienne’s train station, a transit hub for 70,000 daily passengers, is grappling with capacity challenges amidst significant redevelopment on both sides. Despite ongoing upgrade plans, a cohesive strategy is missing. To address this, the City of Biel/Ville de Bienne commissioned Gehl to create a Master Plan and Utilization Concept for the area so that it can retain its attractiveness and efficiency as a mobility hub.

Bahnhofstrasse is currently an underutilized urban space that lacks greenery, cycling infrastructure, and inviting areas for people to linger. It falls short of addressing the needs of its many users. Gehl’s mobility experts saw its potential as a thriving commercial street that could serve as a crucial link between Biel/Bienne’s city center and the train station. Credit: Gehl
The redesign of Bahnhofstrasse to improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists. The station square is envisioned to offer multifunctional spaces, including a water feature, seating under trees, dedicated areas and pavilions for hosting events and activities. Credit: Gehl

A place where many paths cross

The Biel/Bienne train station faces mounting challenges: overcrowded spaces, disconnected flows, and underutilized potential in its surrounding areas. As one of Switzerland’s main transit hubs — a place where many paths cross — its upgrade is critical to ensure the future efficiency and vibrancy of the area. Gehl partnered up with Kontext Plan to understand how people use the existing spaces — from bustling foot traffic to quiet moments of pause — to shape a vision to maintain the station’s vibrancy while introducing more diverse and inclusive uses. 

Gehl’s updated Circulation Plan proposed major shifts in how the station area could operate. Rerouting motorized traffic away from the central square, improving bus efficiency, and strengthening the connections between the station and the city are few of the many recommendations that could bring life back to the station square. The Public Space Plan emphasizes balancing active and tranquil spaces, introducing greenery, and creating inviting public areas that support both community life and commercial opportunities. Strategic adjustments to traffic flows aim to breathe new life into the area and unlock its development potential. 

Gehl’s vision is one of the three proposals presented to Biel/Bienne and Swiss train company SBB. It offers a clear framework to upgrade the train station area into a dynamic, efficient, and welcoming hub that reflects the city’s energy and diversity.

Our Public Space Plan establishes a hierarchy of public spaces around the train station, with a standout feature being a green boulevard that seamlessly connects the city center to the station. Key elements include an updated circulation plan for all traffic modes, the creation of smaller plazas, the revitalization of the central station square, the relocation of the bus terminal, and the development of a green spine in the station’s southern area. Credit: Gehl

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