The hillside town of Spoleto, Italy is a challenge to walk. Imagine beautiful continuous, steep hills throughout the historical center.
As residents began to abandon the hassles of parking in the older town for the new malls in the peripheral areas, the Spoleto city planning department went to work brainstorming ideas to invite folks of all ages to visit, shop and live in “centro storico”.
So what did they do to motivate residents and tourists to walk those steep hills? The city invested significant funds into creating alternative mobility, which dis-incentivizes cars and motivates priority for pedestrians:
- created multiple underground parking right outside of town with a connected moving walking, protective from the elements of weather
- developed a system of these protective moving walkways, allowing residents in town to traverse one level of the city to another
- designed well place maps to indicate walking paths, directions and distances between sights and streets
- built a beautiful, extended outdoor escalator system, placed alongside the ancient walls of the city, providing breathtaking views
From 8 to 80 years old, anyone can access and enjoy this Umbrian town by leaving the car behind and going for a walk.
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Photo credit: Aminah Ricks
