It has been an honor and a pleasure to participate as a speaker in the conference “Sustainable infrastructures: the #metro as a driver of urban change”, held in Turin last Friday and organized by Infra.to and the City of Turin, together with distinguished and admired colleagues such as Stefano Lo Russo | Bernardino Chiaia | ANDREA SCIOTTI | Paolo Carbone | Xavier Matilla | Paolo Mazzoleni, Ph.D. | Cristina Manara | Marta Bottero | Daniel Vasini | Dominique Perrault Architecture | Marianthi Tatari.
As the Mayor of Turin said, the new Turin metro should not be designed solely from the perspective of transport efficiency, but as an urban strategy, and in terms of its capacity to restructure, connect, and improve the city. This is the vision guiding the development and design of the new Line 2 of the Turin metro, as explained by Bernardino, from which I would like to highlight two aspects:
The extension of the new metro coincides with the recently approved new PRG, explained by Councillor Paolo, which emphasizes urban regeneration (urban recomposition) and, above all, proximity and local centralities.
The future stations of Line 2, designed by UNS and excellently presented by Mertien, have been conceived as true urban spaces that invite and facilitate a continuous transition from the city level down to the platforms, recognizing the uniqueness of each place and offering a memorable experience.
It was a privilege to share the discussion and once again learn from the admired Dominique Perrault and his explanation of the Grand Paris Express strategy and his project for Villejuif Gustave Roussy Station.
From my side, I am very grateful to have been able to contribute with the experience of Barcelona, explaining how public transport has been a structuring and cohesive element of the metropolitan area throughout its development over the last 100 years. And how, today, thanks to public transport networks, it is possible to transform public space and adapt it to social and environmental challenges. The Superblock program and the recent green axes of the Eixample would not have been possible without the city’s metro and public transport network.
A heartfelt thanks to Infra Torino for the invitation, and a special thanks to Paolo Pavimanato for his availability and kindness. Congratulations on the success of the conference.
