MODe stands for Mobility oriented Development and it is a new integrated value proposition strategy of ARCADIS, that will be launched in September this year. It is a performance-driven approach for creating mixed use and multi-modal urban environments, at and around transportation hubs in rapidly densifying cities, delivering the highest possible outcomes for the prosperity and health of people, predicting measurable social and economic benefits, and maximizing the return on investment in urban mobility.
I’m an Urban designer and Architect working for RTKL from the Sao Paulo office. I also take part on the MODe Core Team responding for the dissemination of MODe strategy and the development and prospection of MODe projects in South America. One of the tools used to help us analyze current performance of the study station is called MODex and has been developed by ARCADIS. The idea is to test the model in real cases in order to understand in practice what we can bring to the discussions and how we can highlight areas of the station that can be improved.
Outcome
My Quest was hosted by Bas Bollinger and joining me that week also on the Quest was Atilla Vredenburg from RTKL’s London office. We also had Josine Reijnhoudt and Jasper Bras, who joined the working process. The week was set for us to work on Midi Station in Brussels for 2 days alongside Olivier De Temmerman’s team and 3 days in Paris under Lionel Bours group, for two different case studies, Nanterre La Folie and Marne Europe in the greater Paris Area. We were looking for ways on how we could help them evolving their actual cases, aiming for the possibility of bringing new perspectives for the projects.
From Paris to Brazil
For me, it was a very valuable experience. Not only having the opportunity to meet Bas Bollinger and the MODe team in person, but also to collaborate and exchange knowledge with other colleagues from Arcadis for a week.Itt was a practical lesson on how to conduct the topic with clients and being able to work in different cases, while fully aware of the core values of MODe integrated approach. It was an investigation on the methodology that mattered. Testing the concept and the model against real scenarios that made us reflect if they needed adjustments and if we are conveying the full message. It was also very helpful to be part of the discussions revolving around stakeholder alignment, investable strategies and the integrated engineering solutions that made me aware of many mechanisms and strategies that can be applied in order to show to our clients our capabilities on helping them on different issues that they are facing. I took full advantaged of the exposure to different divisions and knowledge within ARCADIS Brussels and Paris’s offices that I’m sure have a great impact on my understanding on how we can integrate services and spread similar practices and approaches being back in Brazil.
Camila Simas – Brazil
