WIGeoNetwork in use in the project development of new IKEA locations

WIGeoNetwork in use in the project development of new IKEA locations

The preliminary assessment of the global project development of new IKEA locations is being performed by IKEA corporate headquarters in Sweden. Based on these preliminary assessments, continuing assessments for project development are being performed at IKEA German headquarters in Hofheim-Wallau.

Over the course of this project development, the possible locations ascertained will be further assessed for their suitability, first in terms of construction planning law and complementary conditions that result from natural and wildlife conservation law, as well as other environmental sustainability considerations. Moreover, market compatibility assessments and assessments of the guarantee of an efficient public transportation network and the necessary appurtenant measures will be performed in particular.

Over the course of these assessments, the customer catchment area boundary is of great importance. In this connection, the planning group Skribbe-Jansen of the city of Muenster utilizes the WIGeoNetwork software, an application for street network analyses, and thereby the possibility of defining corresponding areas based on street classes and speed profiles.

These catchment areas can be mixed with the catchment areas of preexisting, neighboring IKEA locations over the further course of the analyses. By incorporating sociodemographic figures into the locations’ corresponding catchment areas, the persons and households who are living in the remaining catchment area of the planning location and who can be detailed with the aid of the software system in travel time intervals to be determined, can also be ascertained from the overall catchment area of all IKEA locations in connection with the neighboring locations. A valid decision making basis as to the capacity of the potential location thereby arises. IKEA automatically records passenger car arrivals and departures at a majority of its locations in Germany. These facilities are in part expanded by a traffic management system.

Out of these metering data, the possibility arises of determining with great precision the frequencies of the arrivals and departures at the various locations, and in turn, reliable guidelines for the new location as a result.

To this end, it is necessary to maintain a prognosis of the expected journeys of customers for the whole location. Out of the catchment area ascertained, and with the aid of WIGeoNetwork, the expected detailed arrivals can be determined and graphically displayed from the various directions in the form of a supply tree. Differentiation according to travel times is thereby also possible with consideration of the definition of the various street types. The result of the preceding assessments is the precise specification for the formulation of the traffic survey legally required for the project development.

Author: Renate Rösing, Planungsgruppe Skribbe-Jansen GmbH