Wood Snoezelen. Ambienti multisensoriali in legno per la cura e la riabilitazione di persone con ... more Wood Snoezelen. Ambienti multisensoriali in legno per la cura e la riabilitazione di persone con disabilità intellettive Wood Snoezelen. Multisensory Wooden Environments for the Care and Rehabilitation of People with Intellectual Disabilities
In caso di mancato recapito rinviare a ufficio posta Roma-Romanina per la restituzione al mittent... more In caso di mancato recapito rinviare a ufficio posta Roma-Romanina per la restituzione al mittente previo addebito.
Ramps are one of the main solutions for people with motor disabilities to overcome small disparit... more Ramps are one of the main solutions for people with motor disabilities to overcome small disparities in height, both across cities and inside buildings. To permit the autonomous use of ramps, they must satisfy specific requisites. In particular, the slopes must not be excessively steep but adhere to the values identified in regulations and validated by scientific research. In historic cities, however, the placement of ramps is often complicated by a lack of space required for their length. In Venice, in particular, its urban morphology often makes it impossible to conform to the required slopes. For this reason, a specific ramp, known as “stepped ramp”, has been designed by technicians of the City of Venice with a steeper slope than allowed by regulations. It offers many possibilities but even some key problems. This paper presents a scientific analysis of ten different ramps to evaluate the structures that directly influence the feeling of comfort or discomfort of a wheelchair user with assistance, as well as the coefficients of friction of the different flooring surfaces. This study aims to understand objectively if this solution is efficient to improve accessibility in some specific circumstances, where it is not possible to follow the regulations using flat ramps.
Excluded Bodies Barriers in cities and public spaces limit the autonomy of movement and life of p... more Excluded Bodies Barriers in cities and public spaces limit the autonomy of movement and life of people with physical disabilities. In this way, discrimination is more evident and fosters ableism, an ever-expanding approach that tends to favour bodies that can perform and develop as autonomous and self-sufficient entities, while discriminating those that do not correspond to standards arbitrarily set by society. The paper focuses its attention to the body dimension of disability and its role concerning projects for environmental accessibility, to overcome the dualism between “able” bodies and “dis-abled” bodies and aims at the construction of buiidings and spaces for real bodies.
FOCUS POLITICHE ABITATIVE NELLE GRANDI CITTÀ ITALIANE a cura di Ignazio Vinci Le politiche abitat... more FOCUS POLITICHE ABITATIVE NELLE GRANDI CITTÀ ITALIANE a cura di Ignazio Vinci Le politiche abitative nelle grandi città italiane: un'introduzione Ignazio Vinci Milano, un laboratorio di politiche per la casa sociale? Laura Pogliani Le politiche abitative a Genova. Tra interventi straordinari e gestione dell'ordinario Giampiero Lombardini Abitare Firenze: tracce di una biografia urbana Francesco Alberti, Chiara Agnoletti Flussi paralleli di azione nelle politiche abitative a Bari Carla Tedesco I luoghi e le traiettorie delle politiche abitative a Palermo
Technological Imagination in the Green and Digital Transition, 2023
Neighbourhood Sustainability Assessment (NSA) tools are voluntary rating systems for certifying s... more Neighbourhood Sustainability Assessment (NSA) tools are voluntary rating systems for certifying sustainable neighbourhoods in case of new constructions or urban renewals. They consist of categories and indicators to value specific performances. Their purpose is to objectify planned interventions assigning a final score which identifies the overall performance of the district in terms of sustainability. However, is it possible to affirm that these systems actually contribute to the improvement of inclusiveness and healthy living in the neighbourhoods? This question arises as a reflection on the two main issues that contemporary cities have to face urgently which are urbanization and ageing population, focusing attention on developed countries. In this regard, “new” urban spaces are called to achieve inclusion and healthy living for all the people and the neighbourhood represents the right scale for reasoning about. The present study investigates some of the most commonly used neighbourhood scale tools (BREEAM Communities, GBC Italia, DGNB Districts, Living Community Challenge, EcoDistricts) looking at how these systems can help to create more inclusive districts. In particular, the analysis aims to understand how much the social pillar of sustainability affects on urban wellbeing. In fact, there is the evidence that in most NSA tools environmental dimension shall prevails on the others. Through a review of each protocol’s “social” categories and of the recent literature on these topics, the study wants to underline criticalities and potentialities of NSA systems and tries to understand in which way a new protocol should act in order to help municipalities, planners and stakeholders in designing inclusive and accessible environments for all.
Barriers in cities and public spaces limit the autonomy of movement
and life of people with physi... more Barriers in cities and public spaces limit the autonomy of movement and life of people with physical disabilities. In this way, discrimination is more evident and fosters ableism, an ever-expanding approach that tends to favour bodies that can perform and develop as autonomous and self-sufficient entities, while discriminating those that do not correspond to standards arbitrarily set by society. The paper focuses its attention to the body dimension of disability and its role concerning projects for environmental accessibility, to overcome the dualism between “able” bodies and “dis-abled” bodies and aims at the construction of buildings and spaces for real bodies.
Transforming our World through Universal Design for Human Development, 2022
The growing population over 65 years old and the process of urbanization
are two of the major cha... more The growing population over 65 years old and the process of urbanization are two of the major challenges that the contemporary city has to address urgently. These issues require a rethinking of public spaces to ensure health and well-being and stimulate active ageing. The theme of age-friendly cities emerges in this context; it’s about inclusive cities harmonised with the Agenda 2030 goals and the Universal Design principles since they support people’s lives regardless of age, gender, and abilities. In particular, the neighbourhood scale represents the optimal one able to implement experimentations for the sustainable development of the city. Furthermore, the neighbourhood is generally the place of the elderly’s everyday life where they are encouraged to go out and maintain their daily habits thanks to the existence of a safe and good public realm. Starting from the case study of the Santa Marta neighbourhood in Venice, the author has conducted a multi-phase analysis to investigate the quality of outdoor public spaces and which activities are played in these spaces to understand how the urban experience and the quality of life of the elderlies can be improved. At the same time, both the good practices listed by the WHO for the achievement of age-friendly environments and some of the major neighbourhood sustainability assessment tools were studied, paying attention to the social dimension of sustainability, seen as an “accelerator” of urban well-being and inclusiveness. This paper aims to present the first results of an ongoing research, whose purpose is to draft a new tool able to measure the age-friendliness – called SMARTAGING protocol – of a selected neighbourhood. Specifically, the methodological framework will be better described. In this regard, the new protocol shall support administrations in the understanding of the phenomena related to ageing by directing active policies and design choices with an increasing focus on citizens and local and social issues acting complying with the principles of Universal Design.
International Conference proceedings Shaping light for health and wellbeing in cities, 2022
The interest in public space as an attractor of human activities generally emerges during the day... more The interest in public space as an attractor of human activities generally emerges during the day, when natural light reveals spaces and their characteristics and allows - or not - their use. Seen as a "borderline", the passage from day to night leads to the analysis of elements and strategies that allow everyone and, the most fragile people, to be able to experience the city in equal measure, guaranteeing well-being and safety. This study aims to be a reflection on the theme of urban lighting for the benefit of the entire population, those who encounter obstacles that, inevitably, increase at night. Starting from the review of the literature on the subject, good lighting is here interpreted as a further opportunity for inclusion that supports well- being centered on the person as well as on the quality of the places to live.
AESOP Annual Congress - Space for Species: Redefining Spatial Justice, 2022
Urbanization and ageing population are two main issues that contemporary cities have to face urge... more Urbanization and ageing population are two main issues that contemporary cities have to face urgently (UN, 2019). This requires a rethinking of public spaces in order to ensure health and wellbeing for all and stimulate active ageing. In line with the goals of the Agenda 2030 – particularly obj. 11 –, it is necessary aiming at inclusive cities which can support the life of people regardless of age, gender, skills (UN, 2015). In this sense, the district scale seems to be the better choice to act in a sustainable way achieving these goals. It is in the neighbourhoods that sense of place and sense of community are generally realized. These are urban spaces of proximity, which have played a fundamental “social” role during the pandemic. Therefore, can Neighbourhood Sustainability Assessment (NSA) tools improve urban wellbeing? NSA tools are voluntary rating systems used for certifying sustainable neighbourhoods in the case of new constructions or urban renewal. They consist of categories and indicators to evaluate specific performances. Their purpose is to objectify planned interventions assigning a final score which identifies the overall performance of the district in terms of sustainability (Boyle et al., 2018). However, it emerges that in most NSA tools environmental dimension prevails on the social and economic ones (Pedro et a., 2019; Sharifi et al., 2021). The present study wants to investigate some of the most commonly used neighbourhood scale tools (BREEAM Communities, GBC Italia, ITACA Scala Urbana, DGNB Districts, Living Community Challenge, EcoDistricts) looking at how these systems can help to create more inclusive districts. In particular, the study aims to analyse the social categories of each protocol in order to underline criticalities and potentialities of NSA systems, backed by literature review on these themes. Rethinking these protocols making them more flexible (e.g., with both quantitative and qualitative indicators) could be a solution to support municipalities, planners and stakeholders in designing inclusive and accessible environments for all.
L’ACCESSIBILITÀ NEL PATRIMONIO ARCHITETTONICO Approcci ed esperienze tra tecnologia e restauro, 2021
Venice is a singular city in which its “fragile” heritage is closely linked to the complex urban ... more Venice is a singular city in which its “fragile” heritage is closely linked to the complex urban morphology. In the city, there are a significant number of urban obstacles – such as bridges, differences in level, narrow “calli” and unprotected canal-banks – which might hamper people with mobility problems in moving around. In this particular context, standards and rules for the “elimination of the architectural barriers” are not sufficient to respond to the demand for inclusive accessibility and, therefore, innovative solutions are needed. In 2004, Venice city council adopted the “Plan for the Elimination of the Architectural Barriers” (PEBA) and experimented many interventions in order to guarantee urban accessibility, and not only for the bridges which represent the most important limitation to pedestrian mobility. The interventions all have to combine both conservation and accessibility in order to preserve the built heritage, but not always this is possible. In fact, in the city, we can distinguish reversible interventions (such as ramps overlapping on the bridge) and transformative ones (such as the adaptation of the original steps of the bridge), but there are also certain mechanical systems that are now out of use. The aim of this paper is to underline the importance of the design and social actions needed in Venice to guarantee both the preservation of the built heritage and urban accessibility, and which might also represent an example for other historical contexts.
In the contemporary city we are witnessing a rapid process of closure of social life spaces in or... more In the contemporary city we are witnessing a rapid process of closure of social life spaces in order to face the growing human application for protection. Today new urban barriers are placed in the public spaces to defend them. This operation creates new physical and perceptive boundaries and it denies the qualities of openness and plurality belonging to these spaces. The duality (safe space – insecure space) generated by this process has an impact on people well-being, therefore a reflection on this matter is needed.
TECHNE Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment public space, 2020
Venice’s urban morphology does not allow for autonomous movement
for people with impaired mobilit... more Venice’s urban morphology does not allow for autonomous movement for people with impaired mobility, a problem which has been taken on in recent years via a number of projects which have improved the potential for movement along pedestrian and water-based routes. This paper presents the results of research which, starting from a study of previously implemented changes, has mapped the town in GIS environment and planned a mobility support application which can be personalised to user needs. The tool is designed to help users wanting to move around Venice choose a pedestrian and ferry itinerary which takes account of fixed obstacles and the high water phenomenon.
Rethinking cultural tourism: proceed with care in the age of excess, 2020
In the past few years, increasing attention has been paid to the phenomenon of overtourism in his... more In the past few years, increasing attention has been paid to the phenomenon of overtourism in historic cities. However, there have been no significant developments with regard to inclusive tourism and people with disabilities, especially in terms of increasing their opportunities to travel. This study enquires into physical accessibility for people with mobility and visual problems in Venice, and how this relates to the huge number of tourists in this lagoon city.
The population of Venice is falling drastically and its people are ageing steadily and living a u... more The population of Venice is falling drastically and its people are ageing steadily and living a unique existence as regards the town’s morphology. Venice has no car traffic and thus urban accessibility for elderly people is neither straightforward nor always safe. The reasons which make it difficult to live in the historic centre are bound up with its specific features: its town framework is made up of 120 islands linked together by bridges, alleyways and fondamenta canal side streets frequently free of rails, all of which are accessible primarily on foot as the public ferry service cannot link up all its urban spaces and areas. In the light of this, it is important to enable elderly people to get out into open spaces for both health reasons and in relation to the passage of the seasons as well as for socialising. This research work enquires into the physical barriers in the town which can make moving around its open spaces difficult, the various technical and architectural solutions which have been adopted over the years to improve public transport and urban policies designed for an agefriendly town.
For elderly people, the possibility to enjoy open spaces is essential. It avoids isolation, assur... more For elderly people, the possibility to enjoy open spaces is essential. It avoids isolation, assures reality orientation and allows to continue to play an active role in the community for that people that chose not to live in nursing homes. Make cities more age-friendly, improving accessibility of open spaces, is therefore a challenge of next decades, even for Venice that is not an easy place to live in for older people, despite they represent a high percentage of the city population considering that about 25% of residents are over 65 years old. The complex urban pattern, characterized by calli and pavemented fondamenta next to the canals without any railing, represents a problem for pedestrians with limited mobility. But are the bridges the real obstacles for people with physical disabilities and are a risk of falls or slips for elderly people. The city has two complementary transport networks, a water and a pedestrian system, with distinct articulations that influence the shape of the open spaces. These networks have been made more accessible: the naviga tion public service, that connects most parts of the city, has been equipped with solutions to guarantee accessibility at landing stages; on the other hand, a series of work have been done on some bridges to guarantee their accessibility and improve usability of many of them. During the last twenty years therefore, to make the city more accessible to both disabled and elderly residents, the Venetian Municipality has implemented many measures in the city above all on the bridges, adding handrails not present on historical ones and mounting temporary or permanent ramps on them, always guaranteeing a correct balance between the preservation of cultural heritage and the effectiveness of measures. This paper describes the works done so far to address accessibility, focusing in particular on those solutions that improved city liveability, in order to have a resident-friendly and not only tourists dedicated city.
Venice was the third most visited Italian city in 2016 with 10.5 million of tourists. Due to its ... more Venice was the third most visited Italian city in 2016 with 10.5 million of tourists. Due to its topographical structure, the city is erroneously considered inaccessible by most people but, since 2003, with the establishment of the EBA office (Elimination of Architectural Barriers) of the City of Venice, numerous interventions have been carried out to make it more accessible to people with disabilities. Bridges are the main obstacles to the pedestrian mobility in the city but they are not the only one. The connective tissue of the city, consisting of calli, fondamenta and campi, has many other small differences in height, such as the steps leading to shops, hotels, museums and homes. The solutions adopted over the years to meet the overcoming of these small gaps are: removable ramps, stairlift, lifting platforms, retractable platforms and automatic retractable ramps.
It is possible to give a vision for a sustainable enhancement of the Collina del Parco in Nocera ... more It is possible to give a vision for a sustainable enhancement of the Collina del Parco in Nocera Inferiore (SA) starting from a contemporary reading of the Benedictine rule “ora et labora” intended as a strategy based on culture and production. This study aims to analyse architectural and natural elements that have created a complex landscape system during the centuries and to trigger a restoration project in order to establish again the connection between the hill and the city.
Wood Snoezelen. Ambienti multisensoriali in legno per la cura e la riabilitazione di persone con ... more Wood Snoezelen. Ambienti multisensoriali in legno per la cura e la riabilitazione di persone con disabilità intellettive Wood Snoezelen. Multisensory Wooden Environments for the Care and Rehabilitation of People with Intellectual Disabilities
In caso di mancato recapito rinviare a ufficio posta Roma-Romanina per la restituzione al mittent... more In caso di mancato recapito rinviare a ufficio posta Roma-Romanina per la restituzione al mittente previo addebito.
Ramps are one of the main solutions for people with motor disabilities to overcome small disparit... more Ramps are one of the main solutions for people with motor disabilities to overcome small disparities in height, both across cities and inside buildings. To permit the autonomous use of ramps, they must satisfy specific requisites. In particular, the slopes must not be excessively steep but adhere to the values identified in regulations and validated by scientific research. In historic cities, however, the placement of ramps is often complicated by a lack of space required for their length. In Venice, in particular, its urban morphology often makes it impossible to conform to the required slopes. For this reason, a specific ramp, known as “stepped ramp”, has been designed by technicians of the City of Venice with a steeper slope than allowed by regulations. It offers many possibilities but even some key problems. This paper presents a scientific analysis of ten different ramps to evaluate the structures that directly influence the feeling of comfort or discomfort of a wheelchair user with assistance, as well as the coefficients of friction of the different flooring surfaces. This study aims to understand objectively if this solution is efficient to improve accessibility in some specific circumstances, where it is not possible to follow the regulations using flat ramps.
Excluded Bodies Barriers in cities and public spaces limit the autonomy of movement and life of p... more Excluded Bodies Barriers in cities and public spaces limit the autonomy of movement and life of people with physical disabilities. In this way, discrimination is more evident and fosters ableism, an ever-expanding approach that tends to favour bodies that can perform and develop as autonomous and self-sufficient entities, while discriminating those that do not correspond to standards arbitrarily set by society. The paper focuses its attention to the body dimension of disability and its role concerning projects for environmental accessibility, to overcome the dualism between “able” bodies and “dis-abled” bodies and aims at the construction of buiidings and spaces for real bodies.
FOCUS POLITICHE ABITATIVE NELLE GRANDI CITTÀ ITALIANE a cura di Ignazio Vinci Le politiche abitat... more FOCUS POLITICHE ABITATIVE NELLE GRANDI CITTÀ ITALIANE a cura di Ignazio Vinci Le politiche abitative nelle grandi città italiane: un'introduzione Ignazio Vinci Milano, un laboratorio di politiche per la casa sociale? Laura Pogliani Le politiche abitative a Genova. Tra interventi straordinari e gestione dell'ordinario Giampiero Lombardini Abitare Firenze: tracce di una biografia urbana Francesco Alberti, Chiara Agnoletti Flussi paralleli di azione nelle politiche abitative a Bari Carla Tedesco I luoghi e le traiettorie delle politiche abitative a Palermo
Technological Imagination in the Green and Digital Transition, 2023
Neighbourhood Sustainability Assessment (NSA) tools are voluntary rating systems for certifying s... more Neighbourhood Sustainability Assessment (NSA) tools are voluntary rating systems for certifying sustainable neighbourhoods in case of new constructions or urban renewals. They consist of categories and indicators to value specific performances. Their purpose is to objectify planned interventions assigning a final score which identifies the overall performance of the district in terms of sustainability. However, is it possible to affirm that these systems actually contribute to the improvement of inclusiveness and healthy living in the neighbourhoods? This question arises as a reflection on the two main issues that contemporary cities have to face urgently which are urbanization and ageing population, focusing attention on developed countries. In this regard, “new” urban spaces are called to achieve inclusion and healthy living for all the people and the neighbourhood represents the right scale for reasoning about. The present study investigates some of the most commonly used neighbourhood scale tools (BREEAM Communities, GBC Italia, DGNB Districts, Living Community Challenge, EcoDistricts) looking at how these systems can help to create more inclusive districts. In particular, the analysis aims to understand how much the social pillar of sustainability affects on urban wellbeing. In fact, there is the evidence that in most NSA tools environmental dimension shall prevails on the others. Through a review of each protocol’s “social” categories and of the recent literature on these topics, the study wants to underline criticalities and potentialities of NSA systems and tries to understand in which way a new protocol should act in order to help municipalities, planners and stakeholders in designing inclusive and accessible environments for all.
Barriers in cities and public spaces limit the autonomy of movement
and life of people with physi... more Barriers in cities and public spaces limit the autonomy of movement and life of people with physical disabilities. In this way, discrimination is more evident and fosters ableism, an ever-expanding approach that tends to favour bodies that can perform and develop as autonomous and self-sufficient entities, while discriminating those that do not correspond to standards arbitrarily set by society. The paper focuses its attention to the body dimension of disability and its role concerning projects for environmental accessibility, to overcome the dualism between “able” bodies and “dis-abled” bodies and aims at the construction of buildings and spaces for real bodies.
Transforming our World through Universal Design for Human Development, 2022
The growing population over 65 years old and the process of urbanization
are two of the major cha... more The growing population over 65 years old and the process of urbanization are two of the major challenges that the contemporary city has to address urgently. These issues require a rethinking of public spaces to ensure health and well-being and stimulate active ageing. The theme of age-friendly cities emerges in this context; it’s about inclusive cities harmonised with the Agenda 2030 goals and the Universal Design principles since they support people’s lives regardless of age, gender, and abilities. In particular, the neighbourhood scale represents the optimal one able to implement experimentations for the sustainable development of the city. Furthermore, the neighbourhood is generally the place of the elderly’s everyday life where they are encouraged to go out and maintain their daily habits thanks to the existence of a safe and good public realm. Starting from the case study of the Santa Marta neighbourhood in Venice, the author has conducted a multi-phase analysis to investigate the quality of outdoor public spaces and which activities are played in these spaces to understand how the urban experience and the quality of life of the elderlies can be improved. At the same time, both the good practices listed by the WHO for the achievement of age-friendly environments and some of the major neighbourhood sustainability assessment tools were studied, paying attention to the social dimension of sustainability, seen as an “accelerator” of urban well-being and inclusiveness. This paper aims to present the first results of an ongoing research, whose purpose is to draft a new tool able to measure the age-friendliness – called SMARTAGING protocol – of a selected neighbourhood. Specifically, the methodological framework will be better described. In this regard, the new protocol shall support administrations in the understanding of the phenomena related to ageing by directing active policies and design choices with an increasing focus on citizens and local and social issues acting complying with the principles of Universal Design.
International Conference proceedings Shaping light for health and wellbeing in cities, 2022
The interest in public space as an attractor of human activities generally emerges during the day... more The interest in public space as an attractor of human activities generally emerges during the day, when natural light reveals spaces and their characteristics and allows - or not - their use. Seen as a "borderline", the passage from day to night leads to the analysis of elements and strategies that allow everyone and, the most fragile people, to be able to experience the city in equal measure, guaranteeing well-being and safety. This study aims to be a reflection on the theme of urban lighting for the benefit of the entire population, those who encounter obstacles that, inevitably, increase at night. Starting from the review of the literature on the subject, good lighting is here interpreted as a further opportunity for inclusion that supports well- being centered on the person as well as on the quality of the places to live.
AESOP Annual Congress - Space for Species: Redefining Spatial Justice, 2022
Urbanization and ageing population are two main issues that contemporary cities have to face urge... more Urbanization and ageing population are two main issues that contemporary cities have to face urgently (UN, 2019). This requires a rethinking of public spaces in order to ensure health and wellbeing for all and stimulate active ageing. In line with the goals of the Agenda 2030 – particularly obj. 11 –, it is necessary aiming at inclusive cities which can support the life of people regardless of age, gender, skills (UN, 2015). In this sense, the district scale seems to be the better choice to act in a sustainable way achieving these goals. It is in the neighbourhoods that sense of place and sense of community are generally realized. These are urban spaces of proximity, which have played a fundamental “social” role during the pandemic. Therefore, can Neighbourhood Sustainability Assessment (NSA) tools improve urban wellbeing? NSA tools are voluntary rating systems used for certifying sustainable neighbourhoods in the case of new constructions or urban renewal. They consist of categories and indicators to evaluate specific performances. Their purpose is to objectify planned interventions assigning a final score which identifies the overall performance of the district in terms of sustainability (Boyle et al., 2018). However, it emerges that in most NSA tools environmental dimension prevails on the social and economic ones (Pedro et a., 2019; Sharifi et al., 2021). The present study wants to investigate some of the most commonly used neighbourhood scale tools (BREEAM Communities, GBC Italia, ITACA Scala Urbana, DGNB Districts, Living Community Challenge, EcoDistricts) looking at how these systems can help to create more inclusive districts. In particular, the study aims to analyse the social categories of each protocol in order to underline criticalities and potentialities of NSA systems, backed by literature review on these themes. Rethinking these protocols making them more flexible (e.g., with both quantitative and qualitative indicators) could be a solution to support municipalities, planners and stakeholders in designing inclusive and accessible environments for all.
L’ACCESSIBILITÀ NEL PATRIMONIO ARCHITETTONICO Approcci ed esperienze tra tecnologia e restauro, 2021
Venice is a singular city in which its “fragile” heritage is closely linked to the complex urban ... more Venice is a singular city in which its “fragile” heritage is closely linked to the complex urban morphology. In the city, there are a significant number of urban obstacles – such as bridges, differences in level, narrow “calli” and unprotected canal-banks – which might hamper people with mobility problems in moving around. In this particular context, standards and rules for the “elimination of the architectural barriers” are not sufficient to respond to the demand for inclusive accessibility and, therefore, innovative solutions are needed. In 2004, Venice city council adopted the “Plan for the Elimination of the Architectural Barriers” (PEBA) and experimented many interventions in order to guarantee urban accessibility, and not only for the bridges which represent the most important limitation to pedestrian mobility. The interventions all have to combine both conservation and accessibility in order to preserve the built heritage, but not always this is possible. In fact, in the city, we can distinguish reversible interventions (such as ramps overlapping on the bridge) and transformative ones (such as the adaptation of the original steps of the bridge), but there are also certain mechanical systems that are now out of use. The aim of this paper is to underline the importance of the design and social actions needed in Venice to guarantee both the preservation of the built heritage and urban accessibility, and which might also represent an example for other historical contexts.
In the contemporary city we are witnessing a rapid process of closure of social life spaces in or... more In the contemporary city we are witnessing a rapid process of closure of social life spaces in order to face the growing human application for protection. Today new urban barriers are placed in the public spaces to defend them. This operation creates new physical and perceptive boundaries and it denies the qualities of openness and plurality belonging to these spaces. The duality (safe space – insecure space) generated by this process has an impact on people well-being, therefore a reflection on this matter is needed.
TECHNE Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment public space, 2020
Venice’s urban morphology does not allow for autonomous movement
for people with impaired mobilit... more Venice’s urban morphology does not allow for autonomous movement for people with impaired mobility, a problem which has been taken on in recent years via a number of projects which have improved the potential for movement along pedestrian and water-based routes. This paper presents the results of research which, starting from a study of previously implemented changes, has mapped the town in GIS environment and planned a mobility support application which can be personalised to user needs. The tool is designed to help users wanting to move around Venice choose a pedestrian and ferry itinerary which takes account of fixed obstacles and the high water phenomenon.
Rethinking cultural tourism: proceed with care in the age of excess, 2020
In the past few years, increasing attention has been paid to the phenomenon of overtourism in his... more In the past few years, increasing attention has been paid to the phenomenon of overtourism in historic cities. However, there have been no significant developments with regard to inclusive tourism and people with disabilities, especially in terms of increasing their opportunities to travel. This study enquires into physical accessibility for people with mobility and visual problems in Venice, and how this relates to the huge number of tourists in this lagoon city.
The population of Venice is falling drastically and its people are ageing steadily and living a u... more The population of Venice is falling drastically and its people are ageing steadily and living a unique existence as regards the town’s morphology. Venice has no car traffic and thus urban accessibility for elderly people is neither straightforward nor always safe. The reasons which make it difficult to live in the historic centre are bound up with its specific features: its town framework is made up of 120 islands linked together by bridges, alleyways and fondamenta canal side streets frequently free of rails, all of which are accessible primarily on foot as the public ferry service cannot link up all its urban spaces and areas. In the light of this, it is important to enable elderly people to get out into open spaces for both health reasons and in relation to the passage of the seasons as well as for socialising. This research work enquires into the physical barriers in the town which can make moving around its open spaces difficult, the various technical and architectural solutions which have been adopted over the years to improve public transport and urban policies designed for an agefriendly town.
For elderly people, the possibility to enjoy open spaces is essential. It avoids isolation, assur... more For elderly people, the possibility to enjoy open spaces is essential. It avoids isolation, assures reality orientation and allows to continue to play an active role in the community for that people that chose not to live in nursing homes. Make cities more age-friendly, improving accessibility of open spaces, is therefore a challenge of next decades, even for Venice that is not an easy place to live in for older people, despite they represent a high percentage of the city population considering that about 25% of residents are over 65 years old. The complex urban pattern, characterized by calli and pavemented fondamenta next to the canals without any railing, represents a problem for pedestrians with limited mobility. But are the bridges the real obstacles for people with physical disabilities and are a risk of falls or slips for elderly people. The city has two complementary transport networks, a water and a pedestrian system, with distinct articulations that influence the shape of the open spaces. These networks have been made more accessible: the naviga tion public service, that connects most parts of the city, has been equipped with solutions to guarantee accessibility at landing stages; on the other hand, a series of work have been done on some bridges to guarantee their accessibility and improve usability of many of them. During the last twenty years therefore, to make the city more accessible to both disabled and elderly residents, the Venetian Municipality has implemented many measures in the city above all on the bridges, adding handrails not present on historical ones and mounting temporary or permanent ramps on them, always guaranteeing a correct balance between the preservation of cultural heritage and the effectiveness of measures. This paper describes the works done so far to address accessibility, focusing in particular on those solutions that improved city liveability, in order to have a resident-friendly and not only tourists dedicated city.
Venice was the third most visited Italian city in 2016 with 10.5 million of tourists. Due to its ... more Venice was the third most visited Italian city in 2016 with 10.5 million of tourists. Due to its topographical structure, the city is erroneously considered inaccessible by most people but, since 2003, with the establishment of the EBA office (Elimination of Architectural Barriers) of the City of Venice, numerous interventions have been carried out to make it more accessible to people with disabilities. Bridges are the main obstacles to the pedestrian mobility in the city but they are not the only one. The connective tissue of the city, consisting of calli, fondamenta and campi, has many other small differences in height, such as the steps leading to shops, hotels, museums and homes. The solutions adopted over the years to meet the overcoming of these small gaps are: removable ramps, stairlift, lifting platforms, retractable platforms and automatic retractable ramps.
It is possible to give a vision for a sustainable enhancement of the Collina del Parco in Nocera ... more It is possible to give a vision for a sustainable enhancement of the Collina del Parco in Nocera Inferiore (SA) starting from a contemporary reading of the Benedictine rule “ora et labora” intended as a strategy based on culture and production. This study aims to analyse architectural and natural elements that have created a complex landscape system during the centuries and to trigger a restoration project in order to establish again the connection between the hill and the city.
Tra le peculiarità della città storica di Venezia vi è il sistema della mobilità, basato su di un... more Tra le peculiarità della città storica di Venezia vi è il sistema della mobilità, basato su di una fitta rete di percorsi pedonali interconnessi fra loro da ponti e disseminati di ostacoli minori che rendono difficoltoso o impossibile spostarsi, soprattutto quando si manifesta il fenomeno dell'acqua alta o la persona ha difficoltà di deambulazione. Non esiste una mappa interattiva dell'accessibilità, né un elenco di tutti gli interventi, grandi e piccoli, che l'amministrazione ha realizzato per facilitare la mobilità a Venezia e nelle isole maggiori. Il progetto IuavforAll ha come obiettivo la realizzazione un sistema software (servizi GIS e applicativi utente) in grado di aiutare le persone a scegliere un percorso nella città storica di Venezia in base alle proprie necessità e difficoltà motorie, vale a dire tenendo conto delle barriere architettoniche, degli ostacoli o impedimenti fisici, inclusa l'acqua alta, che riducono l'accessibilità al sistema dei percorsi pedonali pubblici e alla rete del trasporto pubblico di navigazione. Nel corso del progetto sono stati impiegati vari strumenti della tecnologia ESRI: ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Server, Collector for ArcGIS, ArcGIS Runtime SDK for .NET. 1. Introduzione L'Università Iuav di Venezia ha avviato dal 2016 un progetto di ricerca sulle tematiche inerenti l'accessibilità urbana nella città lagunare. Tra i primi risultati della ricerca è stata la pubblicazione, nel 2018, di un testo 1 che ha raccolto gli esiti dello studio e dell'analisi delle opere realizzate negli ultimi vent'anni dal Comune di Venezia, al fine di rendere gli spazi urbani più fruibili a tutti e in particolare alle persone con disabilità fisica. Il secondo risultato, in via di realizzazione, è un sistema software-GIS services, applicazione per dispositivi mobili e applicazione webGIS-che aiuta l'utente a pianificare gli spostamenti nella città storica tenendo conto degli interveti realizzati negli anni dall'amministrazione comunale e di altre specifiche problematiche legate alla mobilità. In particolare, l'applicazione elabora e mette a disposizione informazioni riguardanti il livello di fruibilità dei ponti, dei dislivelli urbani e di altre tipologie di ostacoli presenti in città, nonché quelle relative all'accessibilità agli edifici veneziani di interesse pubblico e di maggior rilievo culturale. La messa a punto del sistema software prevede due fasi distinte: nella prima è stato costruito il grafo dei percorsi pedonali per le insule in cui si trovano le sedi Iuav e per quelle che ne garantiscono l'interconnessione (per un totale di circa un quarto dell'estensione della città storica) al fine della realizzazione dell'applicazione IuavforAll per dispositivi mobili Android; nella seconda verrà completato il grafo per l'intero centro storico e realizzata l'applicazione GIS per browser web.
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Papers by Rosaria Revellini
In particular, the slopes must not be excessively steep but adhere to the values identified in regulations and validated by scientific research.
In historic cities, however, the placement of ramps is often complicated by a lack of space required for their length. In Venice, in particular, its urban morphology often makes it impossible to conform to the required slopes. For this reason, a specific ramp, known as “stepped ramp”, has been designed by technicians of the City of Venice with a steeper slope than allowed by regulations. It offers many possibilities but even some key problems.
This paper presents a scientific analysis of ten different ramps to evaluate the structures that directly influence the feeling of comfort or discomfort of a wheelchair user with assistance, as well as the coefficients of friction of the different flooring surfaces. This study aims to understand objectively if this solution is efficient to improve accessibility in some specific circumstances, where it is not possible to follow the regulations using flat ramps.
In this way, discrimination is more evident and fosters ableism, an ever-expanding approach that tends to favour bodies that can perform and develop as autonomous and self-sufficient entities, while discriminating
those that do not correspond to standards arbitrarily set by society.
The paper focuses its attention to the body dimension of disability and its role concerning projects for environmental accessibility, to overcome the dualism between “able” bodies and “dis-abled” bodies and aims at the construction of buiidings and spaces for real bodies.
and life of people with physical disabilities.
In this way, discrimination is more evident and fosters ableism, an ever-expanding approach that tends to favour bodies that can perform and develop as autonomous and self-sufficient entities, while discriminating those that do not correspond to standards arbitrarily set by society.
The paper focuses its attention to the body dimension of disability and its role concerning projects for environmental accessibility, to overcome the dualism between “able” bodies and “dis-abled” bodies and aims at the construction of buildings and spaces for real bodies.
are two of the major challenges that the contemporary city has to address urgently.
These issues require a rethinking of public spaces to ensure health and well-being and stimulate active ageing. The theme of age-friendly cities emerges in this context; it’s about inclusive cities harmonised with the Agenda 2030 goals and the Universal Design principles since they support people’s lives regardless of age, gender, and abilities.
In particular, the neighbourhood scale represents the optimal one able to implement experimentations for the sustainable development of the city. Furthermore, the neighbourhood is generally the place of the elderly’s everyday life where they are encouraged to go out and maintain their daily habits thanks to the existence of a safe and good public realm.
Starting from the case study of the Santa Marta neighbourhood in Venice, the author has conducted a multi-phase analysis to investigate the quality of outdoor public spaces and which activities are played in these spaces to understand how the urban experience and the quality of life of the elderlies can be improved.
At the same time, both the good practices listed by the WHO for the achievement of age-friendly environments and some of the major neighbourhood sustainability assessment tools were studied, paying attention to the social dimension of sustainability, seen as an “accelerator” of urban well-being and inclusiveness.
This paper aims to present the first results of an ongoing research, whose purpose is to draft a new tool able to measure the age-friendliness – called SMARTAGING protocol – of a selected neighbourhood. Specifically, the methodological framework will be better described.
In this regard, the new protocol shall support administrations in the understanding of the phenomena related to ageing by directing active policies and design choices with an increasing focus on citizens and local and social issues acting complying with the principles of Universal Design.
This study aims to be a reflection on the theme of urban lighting for the benefit of the entire population, those who encounter obstacles that, inevitably, increase at night. Starting from the review of the literature on the subject, good lighting is here interpreted as a further opportunity for inclusion that supports well- being centered on the person as well as on the quality of the places to live.
In this particular context, standards and rules for the “elimination of the architectural barriers” are not sufficient to respond to the demand for inclusive accessibility and, therefore, innovative solutions are needed. In 2004, Venice city council adopted the “Plan for the Elimination of the Architectural Barriers” (PEBA) and experimented many interventions
in order to guarantee urban accessibility, and not only for the bridges which represent the most important limitation to pedestrian mobility.
The interventions all have to combine both conservation and accessibility in order to preserve the built heritage, but not always this is possible. In fact, in the city, we can distinguish reversible interventions (such as ramps overlapping on the bridge) and transformative
ones (such as the adaptation of the original steps of the bridge), but there are also certain mechanical systems that are now out of use.
The aim of this paper is to underline the importance of the design and social actions needed in Venice to guarantee both the preservation of the built heritage and urban accessibility, and which might also represent an example for other historical contexts.
This operation creates new physical and perceptive boundaries and it denies the qualities of openness and plurality belonging to these spaces. The duality (safe space – insecure space) generated by this process has
an impact on people well-being, therefore a reflection on this matter is needed.
for people with impaired mobility, a problem which has been taken on in recent years via a number of projects which have improved the potential for movement along pedestrian and water-based routes.
This paper presents the results of research which, starting from a study of previously implemented changes, has mapped the town in GIS environment and planned a mobility support application which can be personalised to user needs. The tool is designed to help users wanting to move around Venice choose a pedestrian and ferry itinerary which takes account of fixed obstacles and the high water phenomenon.
difficult to live in the historic centre are bound up with its specific features: its town framework is made up of 120 islands linked together by bridges, alleyways and fondamenta canal side streets frequently free of rails, all of which are accessible primarily on foot as the public ferry service cannot link up all its urban spaces and areas. In the light of this, it is important to enable elderly people to get out into open spaces for both health reasons and in relation to the passage of the seasons as well as for socialising. This research work enquires into the physical barriers in the town which can make moving around its open spaces difficult, the various technical and architectural solutions which have been adopted over the years to improve public transport and urban policies designed for an agefriendly town.
In particular, the slopes must not be excessively steep but adhere to the values identified in regulations and validated by scientific research.
In historic cities, however, the placement of ramps is often complicated by a lack of space required for their length. In Venice, in particular, its urban morphology often makes it impossible to conform to the required slopes. For this reason, a specific ramp, known as “stepped ramp”, has been designed by technicians of the City of Venice with a steeper slope than allowed by regulations. It offers many possibilities but even some key problems.
This paper presents a scientific analysis of ten different ramps to evaluate the structures that directly influence the feeling of comfort or discomfort of a wheelchair user with assistance, as well as the coefficients of friction of the different flooring surfaces. This study aims to understand objectively if this solution is efficient to improve accessibility in some specific circumstances, where it is not possible to follow the regulations using flat ramps.
In this way, discrimination is more evident and fosters ableism, an ever-expanding approach that tends to favour bodies that can perform and develop as autonomous and self-sufficient entities, while discriminating
those that do not correspond to standards arbitrarily set by society.
The paper focuses its attention to the body dimension of disability and its role concerning projects for environmental accessibility, to overcome the dualism between “able” bodies and “dis-abled” bodies and aims at the construction of buiidings and spaces for real bodies.
and life of people with physical disabilities.
In this way, discrimination is more evident and fosters ableism, an ever-expanding approach that tends to favour bodies that can perform and develop as autonomous and self-sufficient entities, while discriminating those that do not correspond to standards arbitrarily set by society.
The paper focuses its attention to the body dimension of disability and its role concerning projects for environmental accessibility, to overcome the dualism between “able” bodies and “dis-abled” bodies and aims at the construction of buildings and spaces for real bodies.
are two of the major challenges that the contemporary city has to address urgently.
These issues require a rethinking of public spaces to ensure health and well-being and stimulate active ageing. The theme of age-friendly cities emerges in this context; it’s about inclusive cities harmonised with the Agenda 2030 goals and the Universal Design principles since they support people’s lives regardless of age, gender, and abilities.
In particular, the neighbourhood scale represents the optimal one able to implement experimentations for the sustainable development of the city. Furthermore, the neighbourhood is generally the place of the elderly’s everyday life where they are encouraged to go out and maintain their daily habits thanks to the existence of a safe and good public realm.
Starting from the case study of the Santa Marta neighbourhood in Venice, the author has conducted a multi-phase analysis to investigate the quality of outdoor public spaces and which activities are played in these spaces to understand how the urban experience and the quality of life of the elderlies can be improved.
At the same time, both the good practices listed by the WHO for the achievement of age-friendly environments and some of the major neighbourhood sustainability assessment tools were studied, paying attention to the social dimension of sustainability, seen as an “accelerator” of urban well-being and inclusiveness.
This paper aims to present the first results of an ongoing research, whose purpose is to draft a new tool able to measure the age-friendliness – called SMARTAGING protocol – of a selected neighbourhood. Specifically, the methodological framework will be better described.
In this regard, the new protocol shall support administrations in the understanding of the phenomena related to ageing by directing active policies and design choices with an increasing focus on citizens and local and social issues acting complying with the principles of Universal Design.
This study aims to be a reflection on the theme of urban lighting for the benefit of the entire population, those who encounter obstacles that, inevitably, increase at night. Starting from the review of the literature on the subject, good lighting is here interpreted as a further opportunity for inclusion that supports well- being centered on the person as well as on the quality of the places to live.
In this particular context, standards and rules for the “elimination of the architectural barriers” are not sufficient to respond to the demand for inclusive accessibility and, therefore, innovative solutions are needed. In 2004, Venice city council adopted the “Plan for the Elimination of the Architectural Barriers” (PEBA) and experimented many interventions
in order to guarantee urban accessibility, and not only for the bridges which represent the most important limitation to pedestrian mobility.
The interventions all have to combine both conservation and accessibility in order to preserve the built heritage, but not always this is possible. In fact, in the city, we can distinguish reversible interventions (such as ramps overlapping on the bridge) and transformative
ones (such as the adaptation of the original steps of the bridge), but there are also certain mechanical systems that are now out of use.
The aim of this paper is to underline the importance of the design and social actions needed in Venice to guarantee both the preservation of the built heritage and urban accessibility, and which might also represent an example for other historical contexts.
This operation creates new physical and perceptive boundaries and it denies the qualities of openness and plurality belonging to these spaces. The duality (safe space – insecure space) generated by this process has
an impact on people well-being, therefore a reflection on this matter is needed.
for people with impaired mobility, a problem which has been taken on in recent years via a number of projects which have improved the potential for movement along pedestrian and water-based routes.
This paper presents the results of research which, starting from a study of previously implemented changes, has mapped the town in GIS environment and planned a mobility support application which can be personalised to user needs. The tool is designed to help users wanting to move around Venice choose a pedestrian and ferry itinerary which takes account of fixed obstacles and the high water phenomenon.
difficult to live in the historic centre are bound up with its specific features: its town framework is made up of 120 islands linked together by bridges, alleyways and fondamenta canal side streets frequently free of rails, all of which are accessible primarily on foot as the public ferry service cannot link up all its urban spaces and areas. In the light of this, it is important to enable elderly people to get out into open spaces for both health reasons and in relation to the passage of the seasons as well as for socialising. This research work enquires into the physical barriers in the town which can make moving around its open spaces difficult, the various technical and architectural solutions which have been adopted over the years to improve public transport and urban policies designed for an agefriendly town.