The Mobility, Transport and Territory Studies Group (GEMOTT) in collaboration with the universities of Granada, the Balearic Islands and the Polytechnic University of Valencia, has developed the Atlas of Cities for Active Mobility, an interactive tool to measure the potential of our cities’ surroundings for walking and cycling. The Atlas will be presented on November 7, at 6 p.m., at the Palau Macaya (Barcelona).
The Palau Macaya in Barcelona (Passeig de Sant Joan, 108) will host the presentation of the Atlas of Cities for Active Mobility next Tuesday, November 7, by researcher from the Department of Geography at the UAB Oriol Marquet. This is an initiative developed by the Mobility, Transport and Territory Studies Group (GEMOTT) of the Department of Geography at the UAB in collaboration with the University of Granada, the University of the Balearic Islands and the Polytechnic University of Valencia.
The Atlas explores the cities of Barcelona, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca and Granada in order to highlight the characteristics that promote sustainable mobility on foot and by bicycle. It combines 57 georeferenced variables to provide detailed data and analysis on urban densities, cycleability, green spaces, urban vitality and also on the concept of the “15-minute city”. “The aim of the Atlas is to be a rigorous and reliable source of information for a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle in urban environments”, explains UAB professor of urban geography Carme Miralles-Guasch, coordinator of the project.
The atlas highlights, among other data, that almost the entire urban core of Barcelona presents good walking conditions, with high residential densities, a large number of shops and many areas with priority for pedestrians, which are concentrated in the historic center, Sants, Gràcia, Sarrià and Clot. Barcelona shows levels of active mobility potential similar to that of the city of Palma de Mallorca, Valencia or Granada at 42%.
Both the cities of Barcelona and Granada have 76% of their surface area with basic urban facilities and services within a maximum of 15 minutes on foot, a measure of the so-called “15-minute city”, a percentage that rises to 81% in Valencia, but in Palma it is 38%.
In terms of ease of travel by bicycle, 22% of the city of Barcelona has a high level of cyclability, which is especially concentrated in the Eixample. In Valencia this percentage is 44% of the urban core, while in Granada it is 10% and in Palma de Mallorca 12%.
The atlas also provides detailed information on the urban vitality of different cities, a measure of the capacity to encourage activities in public space, as well as on the percentage of urban green spaces, both public and private, in each municipality.
The presentation will be part of the conference “Are our cities designed for walking and cycling?”, which will feature the participation of Mireia Boya, Director General of Environmental Quality and Climate Change of the Generalitat de Catalunya. During the session, entitled “The importance of active mobility in urban planning”, emphasis will be placed on the importance of this mobility and the indicators necessary to measure the potential of the built environment for walking and cycling.
More information:
Atlas website:
https://www.movactiva.es
Contact researcher:
Carme Miralles Guasch
Department of Geography
Autonomous University of Barcelona
Carme.Miralles@uab.cat
