A multi-level and multi-scale design approach supporting sustainable mobility and healthier living: AIR BREAK project in Ferrara, Italy

The city of Ferrara, also known as the Italian city of bikes, records alarming levels of air pollutants, primarily from private motorized traffic, despite its cycling rates are amongst the highest in Europe. Local authority, in its commitment to driving improvements to air quality and taking care of citizens’ wellbeing, submitted an ambitious project proposal to European Union program Urban Innovative Actions, AIR BREAK - Co-producing healthy clean commuting air spots in town, which was selected amid hundreds submissions and funded with a total budget of 5 million euros. AIR BREAK tackles urban air pollution through several actions, very different from one another, encompassing multiple scales and domains: from sensor monitoring systems to greenery and street furniture design. The project described in this paper adopted a multi-level design approach acting on both physical and cultural environments, that greatly affect citizens’ behaviour and their everyday choices. Community involvement in mapping air quality as well as public spaces intervention that support sustainable mobility and extend the range of activities that can be carried out in the outdoors are here presented and discussed, as key points for successful implementation and replication in other cities, for a healthier and more attractive public realm.