SESSION I
SUSTAINABLE CITY
April 16, 2025 – 4:20 pm / 4:40 pm
THE PEOPLE MOVER IN BOLOGNA: A SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY, ARCHITECTURE, AND LANDSCAPE
ABSTRACT:
The People Mover in Bologna is an emblematic example of how sustainable architecture and mobility can merge into a coherent urban vision. This 5 km elevated monorail system connects Bologna’s G. Marconi Airport to the Central Railway Station in just 7.5 minutes via an electric, driverless shuttle. More than a functional infrastructure, the project represents a deliberate architectural act that enhances the identity of the territory it traverses.
Designed by Iosa Ghini Associati, the system’s stations and the ‘Link’ bridge over the A14 highway are conceived as integrated elements within the Bolognese context. Formal references to local heritage—such as portico arches, the leaning towers, and rural house archetypes—are reinterpreted with a contemporary and sustainable language. Materials like expanded steel mesh allow natural light to filter through, reducing artificial lighting needs, while the orientation and form of surfaces have been studied to optimize solar gain.
A key feature is the photovoltaic system embedded along the emergency walkway that runs parallel to the track. This transforms a purely functional element into a sustainable “ribbon of energy,” capable of generating up to 13% of the system’s power requirements, equivalent to avoiding 300 tons of CO₂ annually.
This lecture, presented within a symposium focused on post-crisis reconstruction, proposes the People Mover as a replicable model: an infrastructure that not only moves people, but also embodies innovation, environmental awareness, and architectural dignity.