Embassy of Mobility

Over the past seven years, Dutch Design Foundation brought together designers, governments, businesses and knowledge institutions through the World Design Embassies programme to shape a more sustainable and socially inclusive future. Each Embassy focused on a specific societal theme – ranging from health and mobility to food and safety – using design as a tool to explore new perspectives and shape meaningful transitions. World Design Embassies provided space for research, experimentation and connection. Take a look below at 6 years of the Embassy of Mobility.

Mobility is about more than just getting from A to B. It is a tool for making our cities more liveable, greener, and human-centred. The Embassy of Mobility explores how we can redesign mobility as a catalyst for better quality of life—not as a goal in itself but as a means to foster connection, well-being, and sustainability.

From Efficiency to Human-Centred Design

For decades, speed and efficiency dominated thinking about mobility. Cities were designed around cars, not around people. The Embassy of Mobility challenges this logic. Under the curatorship of figures like Rob Adams, and later Joost van der Made, the focus shifted towards a new question: What would a city look like if people were put first? What if we designed mobility based on liveability, rather than traffic flow?

Embracing change amidst crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vulnerabilities in existing mobility infrastructures. With reduced traffic and increased remote work, cities experienced cleaner air and quieter streets. The Embassy utilised this period to question the status quo and explore alternative mobility solutions that prioritize environmental sustainability and public well-being.​

Designing for Human-Centric Mobility

A key example of this thinking is the Embassy Lab “Blik voor Groen,” by Studio 1:1 where parking spaces were transformed into communal green areas, showing how small interventions can radically improve urban life. By replacing asphalt with greenery and social spaces, the Embassy demonstrated that mobility is also about shaping the places where people meet, play, and connect.

The Embassy’s broader initiatives include promoting concepts like the 15-minute city, ensuring essential services are accessible within a short walk or bike ride. These projects exemplify the Embassy’s commitment to designing spaces that foster community interaction and reduce reliance on automobiles.

Collaborative innovation and experimentation

By partnering with various stakeholders, including government agencies and design studios, the Embassy facilitates experiments that test new mobility concepts in real-world settings. These collaborations aim to develop scalable solutions that can be implemented across different urban contexts, promoting a more inclusive and adaptable transportation ecosystem.​

Since 2025, the World Design Embassies programme has come to a close. Dutch Design Foundation is building on its legacy with Coalitions: a new platform and structural approach that connects creative thinkers and makers with the momentum of science, organisations and government. Coalitions harness the power of design to address societal challenges and accelerate change towards a more sustainable and inclusive society.