It's online theAtlas of Soft Mobility in Italy, a project carried out by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (FS Italiane Group) and the 29 associations that make up the Alliance for Soft Mobility (AMODO) to support the relaunch of the proximity tourism, slow and sustainable by promoting green mobility that is increasingly integrated with means of transport with low environmental impact. And which features the rail transport and stations in rediscovering and enhancing the excellence of an Italy rich in territorial, landscape and cultural peculiarities.
On the RFI and AMODO websites it is possible to consult the application developed to connect railway stations, cycle paths, paths, trails and greenways with the historical, artistic and naturalistic heritage present throughout the national territory. There digital and interactive map dell'Atlante contains a collection of information, useful for finding your way around sites of historical and cultural interest in the vicinity of the stations. It is the first tool of its kind to understand in an integrated way, through the processing of data - obtained from GIS (Geographic Information System) information systems - and innovative spatial analysis techniques, the network of paths, cycle paths, tourist railways, parks, villages, historical assets and scenic beauties present throughout Italy.
The Atlas of Soft Mobility in Italy
The Atlas contains the mapping of the over 3.000 active railway stations (of which approximately 2.000 of RFI), of the 28 active or planned tourist railway lines (for approximately 1.300 km), of the approximately 900 villages of the networks belonging to AMODO (Orange Flags of the Italian Touring Club, Authentic Villages d'Italia, Cittaslow, Virtuosi Municipalities) and the most beautiful villages in Italy, of the approximately 12.000 km of paths (Sentiero Italia of the CAI and the international paths of FIE), of the 83 paths (Rete dei cammini and AIGAE) for a total of about 24.300 km, of the 1.656 protected areas for a total of about 100.000 km2 (24 national parks, 147 national nature reserves, 134 regional nature parks and regional nature reserves, 68 sites of community interest and 610 special protection areas, 171 other protected natural areas , 112 WWF oases, 3 submerged natural parks and 27 marine protected areas, 66 ReMI geo-mining parks in Ispra), 55 UNESCO sites (approximately 5.700 km2), approximately 18.000 km of existing and planned greenways and cycle paths (37 greenways , 3 Eurovelo itineraries, 10 National Tourist Cycle Routes, 20 Bicitalia itineraries). To all these networks are added 50 local railway lines in operation which cross the internal areas and Italian territories, which have been named by RFI and AMODO as "landscape lines" to be proposed for the slow tourism.
Objective: to promote proximity, slow and sustainable tourism
With the aim of strengthening the slow tourism served by the railway system, explains a press release, RFI and AMODO have stipulated a three-year memorandum of understanding (signed on April 29, 2021) to systematize and integrate information and knowledge relating to the various existing and planned soft mobility networks in Italy, identifying railway stations as the place of accessibility and soft intermodality, functional to the interchange services between train, bicycle and paths. A tool capable of directing assessments, choices and solutions of Institutions and Local Authorities (Regions, Provinces, Park Authorities, etc.) in the development of soft mobility in their territories.
The project represents a Work in progress, which will see further developments and tests also in the field, to design the nodes of soft intermodality, accessibility for all users, create the reception system and services for those who pedal, walk, use a landscape and tourist train, to those who love nature and villages to live.
