PEBA: for an accessible Bergamo

Bergamo. Participatory urban walks. This is what they called them, this is how they defined them, those who went out along the streets of the city to look, but with different eyes, at how many and what architectural barriers there are which, although minute, prevent or make difficult the path of those with various types of fragility.

A precise desire, that of the municipal administration of Bergamo, which commissioned the work to a team of architects led by Nicholas Eynard who, notebook in hand, faced a special urban adventure together with a group of citizens with disabilities and occupational therapists, specific figures dedicated to finding strategies to best adapt living spaces to life, even where this is more complicated. The task, by the end of May, will be to draw up a document, the Peba, the plan for the elimination of architectural barriers, and deliver it to the current administration to highlight all the obstacles present in the city and also provide a series of possible solutions to eliminate or at least avoid them. The plan includes a detailed mapping of the city’s critical places and for each critical issue identified, a solution will be proposed, accompanied by a feasibility study and a cost estimate.

The objective is in fact to correct previous situations in which the design did not adequately consider the specific needs of the people who live or use public spaces, as well as an integrated urban system as a whole, making accessibility an integral and structured part of the urban planning and design.

Through participatory urban walks, citizens and associations can thus report difficulties along the routes, allowing critical issues to be identified more effectively. And what may seem like a banal step or ramp of the right construction or location, in reality constitutes an insurmountable obstacle. With this spirit of observation and annotation, yesterday afternoon, Thursday 28 March, a large group of citizens, mostly in wheelchairs, dedicated two hours of their time to walking along the city center, the heart of the activity after the episodes dedicated to the Villaggio degli Sposi and Monterosso.

In the two neighbourhoods, the tour brought to light the lack of tactile signals for the blind, traffic lights without acoustic signals and routes not accessible to those with mobility difficulties.

The walk in the urban center of Bergamo started in Largo 5 Viehe traveled Via Zambonate, Via Tiraboschi, Sentierone, Dante Square, Piazza Vittorio Veneto and ended at Frizzoni Palace. During the process, several critical elements emerged that influence the accessibility and usability of public space: asome traffic lights that last too short and lack an acoustic signal, pedestrian crossings that have steps that hinder wheelchairs, the slope of some sections of the road, the cobblestone paving that is annoying and problematic in particular in Piazza Dante and Piazza Matteotti and at the entrance of the Municipality the obstacle is represented by the raised sliding gate and the uncomfortable doors that make access difficult.

“Today we will ask you to share your point of view on the potential problems you may encounter in the urban environment – ​​comments the architect Nicholas Eynard -. We, as professionals in the field of architecture and occupational therapy, will provide our technical expertise. We firmly believe that combining your experiences with our specialization is essential to achieve significant results and ensure an accessible and inclusive urban environment for all.”

The path towards a more accessible Bergamo is a collective commitment that requires the collaboration of all its citizens. Through the union of technical expertise and lived experience, i Plans for the elimination of architectural barriers (PEBA) they are transformed into an engine of change, driving urban evolution towards a city where every street, square and building is accessible to all. With the continuous commitment of institutions, professionals and the community, we can build a future where inclusion is the norm and accessibility is guaranteed for every individual.