Bicycle and pedestrian walkways
Covo, Bergamo, Italy
The scope of intervention is represented by a vast non-urbanized area of the municipality of Covo (Bergamo), located in the South-West and characterized as an area in which to pursue the conservation, enhancement and recovery of the constituent elements of the landscape and the safeguarding significant natural presences.
The Municipality of Covo is a “land of water”, between the Oglio and Serio rivers.
The intrinsic value of the study area lies in its belonging to the landscape system of the ‘pianura bergamasca’, characterized by the co-presence of significant constituent elements from a historical, landscape and environmental perspective. System of relationships between historical-cultural elements that connect rural buildings, paths and waterways, which constitute the connection between significant environmental situations.
From an environmental point of view, the fountains and waterways, together with a rich vegetation, undoubtedly constitute the presence of greater importance and undeniable prevalence. The fountains represent a hydrographic structure that characterizes the territory of the entire ‘Pianura Padana’, influencing its territorial matrix in a landscape and infrastructural sense.
The project involves the construction of a sequence of bridges to cross the watercourses present along a cycle/pedestrian path under construction. The section of this route, which connects the center of the Municipality of Covo to the locations of this project, has already been created (https://www.massimilianogamba.it/en/urban-requalification-covo-en.html).
These interventions are part of the broader “Project to strengthen ecological connections along the ‘Fosso Bergamasco’ and the ‘Naviglio Vecchio di Cremona’”, which starting from a territorial scale reading and considering the environmental and landscape peculiarities of the context, promotes the need to strengthen the environmental-ecological matrix consistently with the design of supra-municipal ecological networks.
A sequence of bridges of approximately 11 m span spanning the watercourses, slightly raised above the ground level, allow the continuity of the nature trail along the fountains.
The walkways are made up of a load-bearing structure in galvanized steel (not visible) and a non-slip walking surface made of expanded and galvanized sheet metal panels. The parapet is made of corten steel. The load-bearing structure rests on the ground through two exposed reinforced concrete plinths.
The intention of the project is to strengthen the environmental and landscape characteristics of this “minimal landscape”, working on strengthening the ecological connection system that links the waterways to the fountains and integrating, at the same time, a sustainable system of slow mobility made up of access routes accessible to population.
In 2020, the Regione Lombardia promoted and financed this project for the urban redevelopment and regeneration of the Municipality of Covo, assigning 1,700,000 Euros thanks to the Marshall Plan.
In 2021, the Association for the revamp of the bicycle - Aribi awarded the Municipality of Covo the “Little Copenaghen 2021” award, as a prize to the cities that most implement safe kilometers in urban centers to encourage bike to work and bike to school.
Project and work supervision
Massimiliano Gamba
Chronology
Project: 2018 | 2024
Construction: 2021 | On going
