A smart and active mobility assessment protocol for urban regeneration. Application to regeneration projects of medium-sized cities in Emilia-Romagna

Abstract

Active mobility, within the context of sustainable urban development, plays a crucial role by positively affecting carbon and greenhouse gasses emissions, promoting healthy lifestyles, relieving urban traffic congestion, and therefore enanching the overall quality of urban life. Nowadays, active mobility plays a crucial role also in the contexts of urban regeneration projects, as highlighted both within the framework of Smart City assessments and within the main urban regeneration evaluation protocols. This paper pursues to establish a protocol for assessing the transformation of public spaces in the context of urban regeneration, using specific indicators to measure impacts on active mobility. The proposed assessment method aims at benchmarking urban regeneration initiatives, with a particular focus on mobility and accessibility issues. The methodology has been tested in several case studies within the major medium-sized cities of the Emilia-Romagna Region (Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Cesena and Rimini), in the North of Italy, outlining potential guidelines for the integration of active and smart mobility in the processes of urban regeneration.