Lisbon hosts BIP on integrated mobility; final session takes place online tomorrow
The in-person component of the Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) dedicated to the theme Smart Cities & Integrated Mobility took place last week in Lisbon, bringing together students and faculty from several European institutions. The initiative was organized by ISEL within the framework of the U!REKA network and funded by the Erasmus+ programme.
The programme will conclude tomorrow with an online session.
The challenge launched by the Lisbon City Council focused on assessing user experience at two of the city’s main intermodal transport hubs — Cais do Sodré and Oriente. Throughout the programme, students were invited to analyse these spaces from a user perspective, identifying constraints and opportunities for improvement in modal integration and overall user experience.
Preparation for this work began even before the in-person component, with research on intermodal terminals in the participants’ home countries, enabling comparative analysis and the identification of good practices. In Lisbon, on 11 May, the groups visited both hubs, where they conducted direct observation and engaged with users, collecting relevant information on flows, behaviours, and perceptions.
On the following day, participants visited the Portugal Smart Cities Summit, in a moment of inspiration and exposure to innovative solutions, which helped inform their reflection on the identified challenges. The groups then developed a poster and a final presentation, summarizing their diagnostic work, key findings, and proposed solutions.
Overall, the projects highlighted the difficulties experienced by users in wayfinding and navigation within the hubs, associated with the complexity of the spaces, unclear or insufficient signage, and language barriers, particularly for occasional users.
Among the proposed solutions, notable suggestions included strengthening information and wayfinding systems, namely through more intuitive and multilingual signage, the use of clear visual codes, and the support of digital solutions, with a view to improving flow, accessibility, and comfort in the use of these spaces.
The results of this work will also be shared at the 4th LxDataLab Meeting, where Portuguese students will present the posters developed by the groups during the coffee break. At that time, it will also be possible to view the presentations produced, and a brief teaser introducing this initiative is planned to be shown in the session room.