Walking and touching to know
Among the different Sensory Itineraries we propose, undoubtedly theUrban Itinerary represents a particularly welcome possibility for visitors.
These are routes that develop within urban spaces, particularly in historic centers or suburbs, and of course in the historic villages which are gaining increasing interest in recent years. Combined solutions can be adopted for a path of accessibility and inclusiveness “for All” with functional proposals for knowledge of the urban form, its development and public spaces, as well as the most important public and private buildings.
Tourism in recent decades has chosen among its destinations the cities of art, i historical centers but also the small villages that, even without being part of the “Most Beautiful Villages in Italy” are increasingly being appreciated for the different entertainment options they offer: fairs, markets, exhibitions and events complement the possibilities of experiential visits and gastronomic approaches to offer wide-ranging and ever-changing entertainment.
Some small municipalities substantiate the process of regeneration of the historic center with experimental activities, developing scientific collaborations with universities and strategic alliances between local governments and property owners for the purpose of allocating new services and new economic functions to try to reverse the phenomena of abandonment, depopulation and aging.
In these virtuous actions, the creation of an Urban Route gives added value, allows for an interaction of the different actors and constitutes an element of cultural and tourist appeal.
In particular, equipping a municipality and particularly its historic center with a route composed of accessible installations, inclusive and supportive of visitors, can generate virtuous effects, first of all:
- a concrete contribution in the process of valorization and promotion of the vast heritage of history, art, culture and landscapes that characterizes most small towns in Italy and abroad
- Support municipalities that want to obtain recognition of the “Lilac Flag“, which certifies the concrete commitment of a public administration or private individual to offering inclusive and barrier-free travel experiences. This recognition gives a lot of visibility to those who have obtained it and paves the way for forms of inclusive tourism that are still little considered.
It is therefore clear that virtuous actions that facilitate the removal of architectural barriers and enhance accessibility for all have many positive effects, first of all on the well-being of people, secondly on the protection and enhancement of cultural heritage, not least on thelocal economy.
Within a historic center, the meaning of the UrbanRoute takes on a pregnant value: it responds to one of Citislab’s cardinal intentions, that of facilitating the inclusion and autonomy of anyone in spaces and among people.
Along the narrative of the peculiarities of a village any visitor will be free to choose where to stop, what to visit and how much to explore, in practice also a contribution to tactile road signs.
The route will be developed with different Citislab solutions, combined with each other, to ensure a path of accessibility and inclusiveness “for All” and to transform it into an experience free of physical and sensory barriers, accessible to all, unique and engaging.
The different Microarchitecture solutions, from the simplest ones such as the Tactile Totems to the more articulated ones such as the Integrated Landscape, will be able to guarantee an accessible information point, parking points, charging devices and electric bikes or scooters, possible fountain or other services to be defined with the municipality; there will be visual tactile panels on the entire historic center and/or parts of it, from which one can get a general idea of the context in which one is and what it has to offer.
This Urban Itinerary, starting from the UN Convention of 2006 on the rights of persons with disabilities, deploys a concrete strategy to facilitate conditions of accessibility e knowledge of all possible users.
Here visual stimuli are integrated with those derived from tactile perception, and further enriched by auditory stimuli: this results in amultisensory experience.
We believe that the goal of removing the sense of bewilderment and disorientation that blind or visually impaired people feel in a place unfamiliar to them, while ensuring that everyone feels comfortable and oriented, can be centered with our accessible solutions.
Two side-by-side Tactile Panels represent in relief and in color fields the historic center of Brescia with the Castle, in its relationship with the main squares and with civil and religious buildings.
Layout of a Tactile Panel of the historic center of Brescia with the Castle in its relationship with civil and religious buildings.