A qualitative analysis of multimodal hub concepts in Dutch national transport and land-use policy

The multimodal hub is put forward in a plethora of current transport policies to solve various transport problems. The concept proves to be ambiguous and lacks consensus over an exact definition. We identified historical concepts in Dutch transport and land-use policy sharing similarities with the multimodal hub through keyword analysis. Moreover, we highlighted the key policy objectives, implementation barriers and enablers, and outcomes using structured expert interviews. The results suggest that central coordination between local governments, creating a just and stimulative framework for market parties to invest in multimodal transport, and a demand-oriented multimodal chain perspective are preconditions for implementing multimodal hub concepts. Furthermore, we conclude that multimodal hub concepts historically shift towards integrating multimodal transport, intensive land-use, and increasing link with shared resources in both transport supply and demand.