Public space in Bellinzona – Ticinonline

In this pandemic period we have seen that outdoor gymnastics equipment, playgrounds with creative and sports activities, but also simple benches or walls, have entered the “map” of the Bellinzona town: finally! Whether it’s lunchtime, an aperitif or late at night, the confinement has made people want to go out again, be it for a simple walk under the house, for a “neighborhood tour” or for a more demanding trot to Sasso Corbaro. This circumstance makes us understand how attention to public space should be a priority of our beautiful city.

I sincerely believe that architectural design involves humanity much more than people understand. Architecture is the discipline that aims to organize space at any scale, but mainly that in which human beings live. A highly social art, capable of generating strong emotions that can affect people’s lives. I dream of street furniture for Bellinzona that honors their history as users of these streets and squares, inhabited and inhabited for centuries. We must pay particular attention to the proper balance between time spent outdoors and indoors.

It seems that in recent years a building that has little relation to the architectural quality that has always distinguished our canton has taken hold. We must prevent this from happening by taking care of the evolution of the territory, therefore, also considering the details that really make a difference. We are the users, we are the customers and the users. We are also the true masters of public space. Taking care of your living space, beginning to recognize those places called squares, streets, parks, large flowerbeds, open spaces, parking lots and postal stops, not only as nobody’s space, but like yours.

I believe that in our society all the respect necessary for a serene and peaceful coexistence is part of the well-entrenched baggage of values ​​of the population.

As mentioned above, in recent weeks it is inevitable to notice how the number of people spending their time outdoors has increased: this is, therefore, the right opportunity to talk about street furniture. Urban furniture is a specific field of design in continuous evolution, which goes hand in hand with the needs of the society that inhabits it and which provides fixed or functional furniture to public spaces, and if it is successful it gives a characteristic image and peculiar in the whole city.

We are not just talking about the simple basket, lamppost, bench or cobblestone that covers the square; we speak of “equipment” for the use of the city. We already have several examples, such as the Long Golena rehabilitation project, currently under construction, or even the public bath, which is still considered part of the city’s furniture today. I think there is still a lot to do in this regard for Bellinzona: very often I see glimpses of crowded places and poor street furniture and this forces people to huddle, for example, on the few benches in the area. sight. This is really a shame because it is not very relaxing and enjoyable. Unfortunately, citizens cannot fully enjoy the outdoor environments because they are not yet very hospitable and comfortable.

I am convinced that this must be one of the priorities of our capital, with a more foresighted and more attentive look at the cohesion of the territory and the services it offers. Mobility, territorial development, tourism and leisure activities must also find a place in the city through its urban furniture, as a “fil rouge” that connects the entire territory of the city and also unites it in its image . All this by promoting the reuse and modernization of the many existing buildings and reducing the number of new buildings.