Accessibility
Single platforms and speed bumps are only two ingredients of a smart mobility policy oriented towards the achievement of universal accessibility. Wider sidewalks and car free pedestrian areas help residents and visitors alike to move around the city saving time. Everyone should be entitled to an urban space that makes independence and self-sufficiency possible.
There is also a significant psychological dimension behind the proliferation of speed bumps: in the absence of these traffic calming measures, it is pedestrians that “step down” to enter a space reserved for motorized vehicles; however, the introduction of a speed bump creates a single platform and signifies that it is the car, not the person going on foot, that is “invading” a pedestrian area.
Safety
A radically new system of public lighting was one of the most perceptible initiatives, both in terms of the high quality of the light and the design of streetlamps, made specially in Pontevedra for Pontevedra. Street furniture, together with the elements for architectural restoration, pavements, etc. are also part of the renewed Historic Center.
Full of life
An adequate restoration of public spaces and infrastructures led to a stronger commitment on the part of private businesses to get involved in the regeneration of residential spaces and the revitalization of commercial areas. The Historic Center, which had formerly been regarded as degraded and marginal, became a major point of interest for work, leisure, tourism and shopping.
The importance of celebrations
Local festivities are not circumscribed to leisure and recreation, since their economic impact in the services and hospitality sectors is fundamental for the city’s prosperity. Festivals and international sports events stimulate the city’s dynamism and boost its appeal for visitors.
A relevant factor in quality of life consists in fighting sedentary habits, which requires action on two separate fronts: developing infrastructure and encouraging the practice of physical activity.
Compact city
Pontevedra has clearly defined its strategic growth so that its streets, squares and buildings continue to form a coherent whole, allow for natural mobility to take place and prevent the emergence of low urban quality areas.
