Mobility Hotel All in One
Nordstan, Gothenburg, is home to a cutting-edge hub that merges micromobility, logistics, and innovation under one roof. What began as an ambitious pilot has now evolved into a fully operational service run by private partners—marking a successful transition that bridges city planning, commerce, and sustainability to reshape urban transport for good.
The mobility hotel in Nordstan, City of Gothenburg, brings together a range of services under one roof: sales and service of micromobility, shared bikes, battery swapping, delivery logistics, and a 24/7 unmanned wholesale warehouse.
‘We are turning one of Gothenburg’s busiest commercial areas into a testing ground for future mobility,’ says Anastazia Kronberg, Nordstan test site lead in the innovation project MOVE21 and Process Manager at Business Region Göteborg. ‘And showing what is possible when logistics and personal transport with micro vehicles come together.’
Urbancorner and Pling Transport provide services at Nordstan, Philip Liljenberg
Situated in the heart of the city, the mobility hotel benefits from direct access to Nordstan’s central location, adjacent to Gothenburg Central Station. Its strategic position ensures integration into the city’s everyday rhythm, making it a vital part of the urban landscape.
‘Nordstan offers direct access to public transport, proximity to the central station of Gothenburg, a parking facility equipped with fast chargers for electric vehicles, and a 1.2-kilometre underground service road for efficient logistics,’ says Helena Lindqvist, CEO of Nordstan. ‘Nordstan is one of Sweden’s most visited destinations, with around 70,000 people passing through daily. To establish a mobility hub for sustainable urban transport within Nordstan, we have transformed former retail spaces, storage areas, and parking lots. This initiative, developed with the municipality and local tenants, is a tangible step toward supporting Gothenburg’s green transition.’
For several years, Business Region Göteborg has worked strategically with both the micromobility and real estate sectors. ‘That long-term engagement gave us a good understanding of the landscape,’ says Kronberg. ‘Recurring challenges included vacant parking spaces, the need for centrally located reloading hubs for micromobility, and the importance of reducing vehicle kilometres in the inner city.
With its shopping centre, adjacent parking garage, and ongoing involvement in reloading initiatives, Nordstan offered favourable conditions for testing new approaches. The presence of an established bike logistics company on site made it a strong candidate for a MOVE21 test location.’
True sharing
The mobility hotel was founded through a unique collaboration between the City of Gothenburg’s Urban Environment Department, Business Region Göteborg, and Nordstan’s business centre—a trio that brought together public-sector vision, business development expertise, and commercial real estate from start.
‘The most interesting moments in projects like this often come where there is tension,’ says Suzanne Green, MOVE21 Living Lab lead for Gothenburg and Project Manager at the Urban Environment Department. ‘We bring different goals, working methods and ideas of what success looks like. That can feel uncomfortable, but it is also where real innovation can happen. If we respect our differences and stay open, friction can spark new solutions.’
The mobility hotel is the result of years of groundwork and collaboration between public and private actors: cluster analysis on Gothenburg’s micromobility sector, a landscape scan of cities with high cycling and micromobility uptake, and workshops with local businesses, property owners, and mobility operators. These insights were further enriched through MOVE21’s European partnership.
‘The cluster analysis highlights a need for closer intersectoral collaboration and better dialogue with the city. It also pointed to the importance of infrastructure to support micromobility and micro-logistics and the need for skills development to support new business models and shift towards greater servitisation. The mobility hotel in Nordstan addresses all of these,’ says Kronberg.
This co-creation approach ensured that the mobility hotel reflects real needs and supports broader goals, such as reducing emissions and improving urban accessibility. By bringing together a range of public and private partners, it supports the everyday business needs of the city while advancing Gothenburg’s long-term ambitions.
The project combines micromobility for individual users, electric delivery solutions for retailers, and logistics infrastructure for tradespeople and service companies. All of this contributes to Gothenburg’s goals to reduce congestion, cut emissions, and improve urban accessibility.
Cargo bike at Nordstan, Camilla Sundberg
‘In addition to combining personal mobility and micrologistics in the same place, we now give craftsmen and service companies good opportunities to use micromobility and bikes in their daily work,’ Kronberg adds. ‘We also build bridges between mobility companies, the city, the retail industry, and the real estate industry.’
‘Since urban land is expensive, combining personal mobility and logistics allows us to make smarter use of space,’ she continues. ‘It lowers costs, increases efficiency, and frees up room for housing or green areas.’
Co-located services like these support more flexible and cost-effective mobility systems and encourage shifts from private cars to smaller electric vehicles. But making this work requires shared capabilities, risk-taking, and a willingness to adapt. ‘What works today might need to change tomorrow,’ Kronberg says. ‘We want to stay responsive to the needs of both businesses and the community.’
Moving beyond pilots
As Living Lab manager for MOVE21 in Gothenburg, Suzanne Green has helped ensure that local pilots like the mobility hotel align with the city’s broader innovation and climate ambitions. The mobility hotel is one of several real-world pilots being developed in Gothenburg.
‘This project allowed us to prototype the kind of city we want to live in: one that is climate-neutral, green, liveable, and smart,’ says Green. ‘We are not just planning for the future in theory. We are testing what works now, in real conditions, with real users.’
The mobility hotel concept aligns with Gothenburg’s high climate ambitions: reducing transport-related emissions by at least 90% and motorised road traffic by 25% by 2030, compared to baseline years. It also strengthens the city’s role as one of the EU’s 100 climate-neutral and smart cities. In 2024, Gothenburg received the EU Mission Label for its leadership in this transition.
Although initiated as part of MOVE21, the mobility hotel will continue beyond the project’s end in April 2025. The city is already drawing on lessons from this and other pilots to shape its long-term mobility strategy.
‘We often talk about innovation in terms of technology,’ Green says. ‘But the real challenge, and the real opportunity, lies in governance and collaboration. Projects like this show how we can bring those together in tangible ways.’
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About the authors:
Anastazia Kronberg, Process Manager, Business Region. Kronberg works at the intersection of the public and private sectors, focusing on micromobility, circular economy, and sustainable built environment. Her current role involves process management, communication, and business development for companies working to reduce their negative impact on the climate. She has scaled circular economy solutions and orchestrated public-private partnerships.
Suzanne Green, Project Manager, Urban Environment Department, City of Gothenburg. Green specialises in sustainable mobility, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration. With over a decade of experience in transport and public-private-academic partnerships, she brings a curiosity-driven approach to building bridges between stakeholders and driving systemic change. She previously was head of R&D at the Swedish Shipowners’ Association. She now leads EU-funded mobility projects such as MOVE21 and REALLOCATE.
Philip Liljenberg