From the first moment of lock down to contain the effects of the Coronavirus, we have been wondering about the effects it would have on urban mobility and never missed an opportunity to sound an alarm on our portal, Bikeitalia.it, because it was clear from the start that social distancing regulations would sink local public transport.
We therefore launched a proposal to implement an Emergency Mobility Network in each city to counterbalance the phenomenon. Meanwhile, numerous cities around Europe and the world have implemented policies in line with what we suggested.
Aware of the difficulties of the Italian system in which regulations do not help those who want to innovate, we convened a technical working group to which architect Matteo Dondé, architect Valerio Montieri and architect Paolo Gandolfi responded positively.
Together we have drafted a Post-Covid Urban Mobility Emergency Plan that contains strategic and technical instructions to avoid a total collapse of urban mobility when operations reopen.
The first part of the paper assesses the existing phenomena with a scenario analysis to be answered through:
- Targeted management of public transportation;
- The creation of an Emergency Mobility Network to stimulate the use of fast, light, and non-congesting means of transportation;
- The enlargement of pedestrian spaces for the purpose of ensuring social distancing;
- Limited Traffic Zone management and parking policies.
The second part of the paper presents technical solutions that can be adopted immediately by municipal governments in compliance with current regulations.
An outline of the cost of implementing the proposed interventions and a roundup of best practices from Italy and around the world can be found at the conclusion of the paper.
Happy reading and good work.
To download the Post Covid Urban Mobility Emergency Action Plan click on the image below or here.
