Mobility analysis and urban design for Reggio Emilia Reconnecting Reggio Emilia through its historic ring road

From city walls to traffic barrier

The Viali di Circonvallazione follow the route of Reggio Emilia’s former city walls. Over time, these streets evolved into busy traffic arteries that physically, functionally, and perceptually separate the historic centre from the surrounding neighbourhoods.

As part of the city’s SUMP 2040 ambitions, Reggio Emilia wanted to explore how the ring could contribute to a safer, healthier, and more inclusive mobility system. The challenge was not only to improve traffic conditions, but also to redefine the ring road as people-oriented public space, while maintaining urban accessibility.

Combining mobility analysis and urban design

Goudappel and Città Sotto Scacco developed a vision and redesign for the Viali di Circonvallazione through a structured yet practical approach, combining spatial analysis, mobility expertise and urban design:

1. Urban analysis: together with CSS, we carried out a data-driven analysis of access to schools, healthcare facilities, supermarkets, and other daily destinations on foot and by bicycle. The analysis also assessed safety and comfort along the ring road and identified barriers between neighbourhoods and the city centre.
2. Historical understanding: CSS explored how the road evolved from former city walls into major infrastructure, and how this historical layer could support future urban reconnection.
3. Traffic assessment: using transport modelling, Goudappel tested the effects of lower speed limits and road-space reallocation, including impacts on traffic circulation and junction performance. The study also explored rerouting car traffic to outer rings to reduce pressure on the historic city ring.
4. Mobility and street design: drawing on Dutch expertise in walking, cycling, and 30 km/h streets, we developed principles for safer and more attractive public space, while identifying opportunities to strengthen public transport and active mobility.
5. Design exploration: Goudappel developed and assessed four alternative layout concepts in close collaboration with CSS, resulting in a preferred solution combining green medians, dedicated public transport lanes, and safer crossings.
6. Visualisation of future scenarios: the design vision was translated into visualisations showing how the Viali di Circonvallazione could evolve into greener, calmer, and easier-to-cross urban streets.

This integrated approach connected analysis, mobility strategy, and spatial design into one coherent vision that is both technically grounded and spatially convincing.

A people-oriented city ring

The vision gives spatial expression to Reggio Emilia’s Città 30 ambitions: an urban approach in which 30 km/h becomes the standard speed limit to create safer, healthier, and more liveable streets. 

By lowering speeds and reallocating road space, the vision creates better conditions for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport, including:

• wider pavements;
• continuous cycling infrastructure;
• greener medians;
• safer and more comfortable crossings;
• and improved space for public transport. 

Moreover, the project establishes design principles that can be applied to similar urban streets elsewhere in the city. In this way, it goes beyond traffic engineering alone: it helps repair a long-standing urban divide, strengthens connections between the historic centre and surrounding neighbourhoods, and supports Reggio Emilia’s ambition to become a leading example of the Città 30 approach in Italy.

Expertise for liveable and future-proof streets

Goudappel helps cities translate sustainable mobility ambitions into practical and spatially convincing solutions. In Reggio Emilia, we combined traffic modelling, active mobility expertise, and Dutch knowledge of cycling infrastructure and 30 km/h street design with the historical research, GIS analyses, local knowledge, and project management of our Italian partner Città Sotto Scacco.

This combination connected international mobility expertise with a deep understanding of the local context. While Dutch street design principles can inspire cities elsewhere, successful implementation depends on carefully adapting them to local spatial, cultural, and mobility conditions.

Client: City of Reggio Emilia, via Città Sotto Scacco

Year: 2022–2024