Rethinking Micro-Hubs for Active Mobility in Peri-Urban Areas

Active mobility in peri-urban areas is influenced by sprawl, limited public transportation, and reliance on private vehicles. This study redefines active mobility in peri-urban and low-density contexts from a territorial perspective informed by the Veneto Region and reframes micro-hubs as socially oriented, network-integrated elements rather than scaled-down urban hubs. This study adopts a qualitative, theory-driven methodology combining a multidisciplinary review of the active mobility concept with thematic analysis to identify mobility hub characteristics, followed by analytical synthesis, the classification of mobility hub types, and a set of social indicators for analyzing their performance. These methods are used to develop a framework for understanding mi-cro-hubs as socio-spatial components of active mobility networks. Results indicate that a network of minor roads and micro-hubs can support shifts toward active mobility when aligned with daily mobility patterns and supported by multi-level governance. The study outlines the socio-spatial roles of micro-hubs and defines them as nodes that link local networks and everyday mobility systems, distinguishing three roles: network, welfare, and civic. Socio-spatially integrated micro-hubs can be effective in reducing car dependence while providing transferable policy-oriented actions for similar peri-urban and low-density areas.