Transit Architecture in the COVID-19 Era

As governments and transit agencies forcefully respond to COVID-19, the need to rapidly and expansively change urban environments is clear. It is incumbent on transportation designers to consider this need for change holistically, and to transform the built environment in ways that will improve the health and safety of future generations.

While urban areas have traditionally been held up as examples of economic and environmental progress, they also play a central role in the rapid spread of highly infectious diseases, including COVID-19. Subway systems, bus networks and train stations enable modern urban patterns, and the ability of cities to adapt to change and combat public health crises, now and in future, depends largely on the resiliency of these systems. The following design elements could improve the function and safety of public transportation:

1. A simplified and streamlined station experience: removing unnecessary transactions and high-touch surfaces, while providing new kinds of station amenities, including screening areas and sanitizing stations.
2. Flexible and resilient space that allows for agility in transit operations: designing for multiple scenarios, and maximizing both interior and exterior spaces to allow for physical distancing and enhanced screening / ticketing.
3. Station architecture that incorporates new standards of safety and hygiene: analysis of station capacity, improved air quality, antimicrobial surfaces, and enhanced signage that supports both regular transit operations and a potential emergency mode.

In the wake of past pandemics, city-builders, designers and planners took on the challenge of transforming public infrastructure to create safer and more vibrant cities. Our next task as designers is to continue this tradition as we re-think the transit environment.

Read Charlie and Welland’s extended guide.