Olbia, the Mezzo project (1/2) at the world summit on cycling

Italian ambassador of inclusive mobility, Mezzo (½) flies to Velo City 2024, the most important annual global summit on cycling, established in 1980 and organized by the European Cyclists Federation. Appointment in Ghent, Belgium from 18 June until tomorrow, the Mezzo (½) project of sustainable and inclusive mobility in Olbia, dedicated to people with disabilities and their caregivers (and not only), carried out by the Hub.mat laboratory , supported by the Foundation with the South, participated in the international discussion table together with 1,600 delegates from public entities and associations from sixty major European cities. Over 350 speakers, Mezzo (½) represented Italy (and the experiences of the Municipality of Olbia) in the Wheels of Change panel in which delegates from Lyon, Paris, Brussels and Manchester also spoke. “An experience that led us to dialogue with high-level entities, an opportunity to take as many ideas as possible”, commented the president of Hub.mat, Roberta Calcina, leader of the project which intends to change mobility habits in the city , also involving the municipal administration, in a public-private partnership and with the collaboration of many local associations. Mezzo (½), financed by Fondazione con il sud for around 200 thousand euros, was born in 2023 to (share) the opportunities for soft mobility and with the ambition of making it barrier-free, through the integration of three levels of mobility, cycle, pedestrian and intermodal. Among the initiatives, inclusive cycle vehicles, with pedal assistance, tandems for cycling with those who cannot do it alone and tricycles for people with reduced mobility, to be rented (free of charge and via an ad hoc app) in the new velo station, currently being set up in the Terranova railway station. And then, tactical urbanism on pedestrian paths, bus stops accessible to all, an awareness campaign and activities that also involve schools.