Defense Date

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Urban & Regional Planning

Department

Urban and Regional Planning

First Advisor

I-Shien Suen, Ph. D.

Second Advisor

Meghan Gough, Ph. D.

Third Advisor

Jacob Thornton

Abstract

IDENTIFYING MOBILITY HUB SUITABILITY IN THE MID-SIZED UNITED STATES URBAN AREA USING WEIGHTED OVERLAY AND PERCENTILE‑BASED LOCAL PEAK ANALYSIS

By Eric Asplund

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Urban and Regional Planning at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2026.

Major Director: Dr. Ivan Suen, Ph. D., Associate Professor, Faculty of Urban and Regional Studies and Planning

Shared mobility hubs are increasingly posited in transportation planning as interventions supporting multimodality, sustainability, and equitable access, but guidance on evaluation of potential hub locations remains uneven, particularly in mid-sized United States cities where data availability, network structure, and development patterns differ from their larger counterparts or in different international contexts. This paper develops, applies, and tests a transparent, GIS-based site suitability framework for identifying mobility hub candidate environments in these mid-sized geographies, using Columbus, Ohio and Richmond, Virginia as case studies.

The analysis constructs continuous suitability rasters through a weighted overlay approach combining transportation network variables and demographic indicators associated with transit accessibility and equity. Rather than relying on out-of-the-box analytical tools, the methodology deconstructs each stage of the workflow, which includes normalization, distance-decay buffering, and a scaled weighting system, to emphasize interpretability, reproducibility, and transparency. Transportation and demographic variables are deliberately balanced through a defined weighting structure, reflecting both network efficiency and population characteristics frequently employed in contemporary United States planning practice.

In Columbus, where mobility hub locations have already been implemented through policy- and stakeholder-led processes, the suitability model serves as a reference case to assess alignment between modeled high-suitability contexts and existing hub locations. Results indicate that implemented hubs consistently fall within the upper tail of the modeled suitability distribution, suggesting that the framework effectively identifies environments conducive to multimodal transfer without taking the same approach as the original siting process. In Richmond, where there are no existing mobility hub locations (formally defined), the distribution of cell values was considered in creating percentile filters to review spatial agglomeration of highly suitable cells, and neighborhood-based focal maximum analysis was used to identify locally dominant peak cells that represent prospective opportunity areas. These peak locations fall heavily on major corridors, institutional anchors, and underserved communities, reflecting the combined influence of transportation access and demographic need.

Notably, this research frames site suitability analysis as a screening and decision-support tool rather than as a definitive site selection method or a fixed “answer.” The primary contribution from this work is a replicable, policy-informed framework tailored to realistic data conditions in mid-sized United States cities that can inform early-stage planning, scenario planning, and prioritization discussions while remaining flexible enough to accommodate changing local objectives and contexts of application.

Rights

© Eric Asplund

Is Part Of

VCU University Archives

Is Part Of

VCU Theses and Dissertations

Date of Submission

5-8-2026

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