Unlocking the gates: Pedestrian route choice in transforming metro station paid areas into mobile public spaces

Recent discussions on public transport as public space are particularly relevant in transit-oriented cities, where urban design profoundly shapes connectivity and pedestrian flow. Strategies such as destination consolidation, node manipulation, and privatized infrastructure, including walkways and transit systems, significantly influence these patterns. Assimilating ideas from nudge and practice theories, this study examines pedestrians' reactions to hypothetical scenarios of opening quasi-public paid areas in metro stations to the public. Using three pairs of interconnected metro stations in Hong Kong—two linked by private paid walkways (stated preference) and one by public unpaid walkways (revealed preference)—a questionnaire survey (N=419) and discrete choice modeling were conducted. Results show adverse weather, such as rain or extreme temperatures, is a primary driver for choosing weather-protected underground paths. However, proximity and distance do not consistently predict route choice, suggesting the influence of less visible factors. For example, retail shops along a route subtly encourages usage, even for individuals with limited interest in shopping, serving as markers of convenience or familiarity. Routes with proprietary underground exits also promote underground usages. These findings reveal how deliberate design, ingrained habits and symbolic meanings collectively shape pedestrian decisions. By uncovering the social-political dynamics of pedestrian movement, this study contributes to the politics of routes discourse and offers quantitative insights for integrating micro-scale flow management in public space with broader urban planning strategies for transport infrastructure. It underscores the need to design public spaces that consider the subtle power dynamics emerging from the interplay between everyday practices and the socio-material configuration of space.