On the right track: Brabant’s rail hubs as a driver for urban densification, quality and programming

Along the railway, Brabant is building the city of tomorrow. Rail hubs are shifting from physical barriers to lively urban areas where densification, spatial quality and societal significance come together. Here, Brabant shows how rail hubs develop into the place where policy choices are translated into urban ambitions and social value.

In Tilburg, the Rail Hub shows how repurposing and culture—featuring LocHal as its key icon—give an area identity and meaning. Breda and Eindhoven combine large-scale densification and expanded station capacity with high-quality public space and international connectivity. ’s‑Hertogenbosch focuses on tackling the rail barrier and linking this to a broad mix of functions. Helmond uses the rail hub as a connecting urban project between the city centre and surrounding neighbourhoods. Oss and Roosendaal are betting on smart programming and quality improvements around the station.

Start with an advantage. This session focuses on the following question: How do you ensure that design, governance and programming reinforce each other in rail hub developments? Brabant shows that successful rail hubs do not arise solely from densification, but rather through deliberate choices in programming, coherent design, and policy courage and ownership.

With Spoorbouwmeester Daan Zandbelt (also a partner at De Zwarte Hond), Isabelle Vries (area developer for Spoorzone, Municipality of Tilburg), Rick van den Berg (programme manager for Rail Hubs, Province of North Brabant) and aldermen from Brabant cities, we explore Brabant’s lessons for rail hubs across the Netherlands.