What makes a good station/ship?

[Frank_Stein]

Traffic control. You want people to come into contact often, but not be a burden on one-another.

Cog1 is a good example. One main path leading from arrivals/thebar to escape/medical with alternative routes that are smaller and inconvenient, but still usable. The civilian, medsci, and engineering sectors are linked together in an intelligent fashion that allows for easy cooperation. It's also doesn't restrict vision much, so you can see other people even if you can't reach them.

Ditto. Plus, Cog 1 has little alcoves and waiting areas near departments that are still connected to the main hallway, but pulls you away from the foot traffic.

That little bit of liminal space really makes a difference