CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati and MIC-Mobility in Chain unveil a new vision plan for Lugano’s waterfront. The proposed plan for the Swiss city aims to increase the links between city and lake with a system of innovative public spaces – from a floating garden island to a new water navigation system and reconfigurable roads capable of responding to people in real time.
The proposed plan envisions a new system of spaces for public enjoyment, featuring a floating garden island connected bya new water navigation system and reconfigurable roads capable of responding to people in real time. The project aims to increase the number of connections between the city and lake by overhauling the main traffic artery cutting through Lugano’s shore.
Image © CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati
The vision addresses the present disconnectionbetween Lugano and its lake. The congested waterfront will become partly pedestrianized, with the addition of a dynamic road system which can be configured with zero, one or two lanes at different times of the day, as well as shared surfaces with playgrounds and social gathering spaces., Electric autonomous vehicles and micro-mobility solutions will integrate private mobility into the new plan.
The proposed dynamic waterfront also includes a system of smart signage, responsive street furniture, infrastructure that produces clean energy from heat absorption, and a series of mobility hubs where people can select their preferred, shared mode of transport. “Lugano is committed in redesigning the front lake and the city center for the future citizens, focusing on a growing attention to dynamic public spaces, the coexistence of different mobility vectors, the development of green areas, the role of the water in city life, the impact of the landscape, and much more.” says Marco Borradori, Mayor of Lugano.
Image © CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati
“Lugano’s distinctive waterfront, nestled between the Swiss Alps and the glacial lake, is an opportunity to create a responsive edge for the city, experimenting with novel ways of blending nature and urban space,” says Carlo Ratti, founding partner at CRA and director of the Senseable City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “We supported CRA’s urban vision of transforming the fracture of today’s Lakefront vehicular axis into a responsive space, hosting new mobility solutions and enabling the waterfront to adjust dynamically to the vibrant ecosystem of Lugano,” says Federico Parolotto, Senior Partner at MIC.
The proposed regeneration was initially presented to private partners involved in the Lugano Living Lab, a collaborative platform to promote urban development through innovation in the area. Among the proposed interventions, the vision plan outlines ways to physically connect Lugano and its lake – allowing the town to stretch out onto the lake thanks to a newly created floating island accessible to the public. The rotating island would be connected to the city by a series of boardwalks, and it would host a series of public spaces, including a garden to preserve the biodiversity of Lake Lugano. Source by CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati with MIC-Mobility in Chain.
Image © CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati
- Location: Lugano, Switzerland
- Design: CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati with MIC-Mobility in Chain
- CRA Team: Carlo Ratti, Andrea Cassi (project manager), Alberto Benetti, Chiara Borghi, Serena Giardina, Federico Riches, Galla Vallée
- CRA Graphic team: Pasquale Milieri, Gary di Silvio, Gianluca Zimbardi
- MIC Team: Federico Parolotto (project supervisor), Francesca Arcuri (project manager), Lucia Bocchimuzzi, Loris Sciacchitano (planners and data analyst), Federico Cicu, Anna Vnukovskaya (transport modelling)
- Creative Consultant: Italo Rota
- Collaboration: TIRESIA, the International Research Center of Politecnico di Milano’s School of Management
- Year: 2020
- Images: Courtesy of CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati
Image © CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati Image © CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati 
Image © CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati Image © CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati 
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