Accessibility and health for the enhancement of the cultural landscape through the environmental design of pedestrian paths – a case study

The paper explores the role of inclusive pedestrian pathway design in enhancing natural and semi-natural, urban and peri-urban areas in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, which aims to provide universal access to safe and inclusive green spaces by 2030. The research takes a multi-scale approach to environmental design, considering both the broad landscape context and the specific details of individual interventions that affect people’s mental and physical well-being, integrating principles of Design for All and Sustainable Development. Focusing on four categories of requirements for the full enjoyment of places by different users, the presented methodology is applied to the proposal of a pedestrian routes network to enhance the cultural and architectural heritage. Obstacles and critical issues of the site have been considered and ranked according to their impact on user fatigue, comfort and general safety, and design solutions have been proposed to mitigate them. The project strategy also includes measures to protect the environment and promote sustainable tourism, potentially serving as a model for other sites. Ongoing monitoring and maintenance are essential to the success of these interventions, which can have a significant impact on the physical and mental health of citizens and for promoting sustainable urban development.