When you are designing public transport, nothing is left to chance. Lighting warmth, the colour of metal grab bars, the texture of the seats, everything is considered and carefully designed. Passengers are 'nudged' into the desired behaviour by clever science and design.
The lighting in the trams in Tours is set to more 'warmth' in winter, and 'colder' in summer, which influences how comfortable passengers feel. Studies show that manipulating the light makes people perceive the temperature as nearly two degrees warmer or cooler.
The trams in Tours are intended to look radical and different. They don't have headlights for example, but instead they've been fitted with two big vertical strips of lights, which act visually like an extension of the rails. The trams are the very incarnation of the City. The mirror surface created by polished steel and tinted glass is intended to play with the water flowing alongside in the Loire River, and reflect the surrounding landscape.
Inside there is a nod to the former industrial heritage of the City, which was one of the first producers of silk in France. The interiors reference a special silk called Gros de Tours, which was a particular shade of red. The red interiors of the trams give a sort of special Tours heritage corporate look, but they also create a warm and comfortable feeling.
Tram design is not just about making them attractive. It must also correspond with the identity of the City. It's a subtle piece of territorial marketing.