Author(s)

E. Chiaf & M. Pezzagno

Abstract

In Italy, the non-motorised vehicles network in extra-urban areas is fragmented. In recent years the growing demand for non-motorised mobility for recreational and tourism purposes has implied long distance itineraries planned along natural, historical and cultural resource systems. Non-motorised mobility could be a way to promote tourism rediscovering the territory. In fact it is promoting an interest for the renewal of dismissed railway tracks, military paths, banks and towpaths of rivers and channels, old linear infrastructures that are the safeguard of a territory. Such linearity should become the physical element to favour the use of the territory in a sustainable way through non-motorised mobility. A greenway network, that is able to put people in contact with the territorial resources also connecting them with the historical centres and with the small tourist areas, implies a planning approach that takes care of the new social needs of the people in outdoor recreation and tourism. Keywords: greenway, land resources, non-motorised mobility, towpaths, linear infrastructures. 1 Introduction In Italy the network of routes for non-motorised mobility outside urban areas mainly consists of mountain paths, military roads and tracks, mule tracks, nature routes, farm holiday walks, etc., and is largely disjointed. In recent years the increasing demand for non-motorised mobility for tourism and recreation has encouraged more and more planning of routes crossing entire areas, linking environmental, historical and cultural places of interest. Research has been aimed at defining a methodology for understanding, evaluating and exploiting both the linear aspects as well as the various natural

Keywords

greenway, land resources, non-motorised mobility, towpaths, linear infrastructures.