Enhancing Metro Wayfinding Through Interior Design for Sustainable Urban Mobility: A Comparative Analysis of Riyadh Metro and Global Best Practices

Metro wayfinding depends on how interior design makes stations legible to diverse users, yet newly built Gulf systems remain little studied. This study examines how six interior design constructs, signage clarity, spatial layout, color coding, multisensory cues, landmarking, and accessibility, shape wayfinding conditions in two Riyadh Metro stations (Qasr Al-Hokm and KAFD), using Tokyo Metro as a documented benchmark. A qualitative comparative case study design was applied: Riyadh was examined through exploratory field observations and document analysis, and Tokyo through secondary documentary evidence, with the six constructs serving as a deductive coding framework. Because the evidence bases differ, the comparison concerns design features rather than user performance. The findings show a consistent pattern. Riyadh’s strengths lie in legibility: bilingual signage, a simple color system, hierarchical layouts, and culturally recognizable landmarks. Its main gaps concern the continuity and operational reliability of multisensory and accessibility provisions, which rely heavily on staff assistance. Tokyo’s documented strength is an integrated, technology-supported accessibility system, while its information density may challenge unfamiliar users. The study contributes a construct-based framework for assessing wayfinding in new metro systems and prioritized recommendations for Riyadh Metro, discussed in relation to SDG 11.2 and 11.7.