Lucia Gallucci Fedon
How does Bellinzona move?
SUPSI Image Focus
For the past 13 years, Lucia Gallucci has been Head of the Mobility Service of the City of Bellinzona, after working for the Canton in the environmental sector from 1991 to 2012. She was born in Como and graduated from the Politecnico di Milano with a degree in Transport Engineering and Planning.
She has always been passionate about mountains and uncrowded open spaces, perhaps in contrast with her studies related to traffic. However, a real turning point came when she realised that travelling by bicycle, instead of by car, allowed her to go much further… and this is how she developed projects and studies for the City aimed at increasing urban cycling—and, consequently, the number of cyclists.
She has always been passionate about mountains and uncrowded open spaces, perhaps in contrast with her studies related to traffic. However, a real turning point came when she realised that travelling by bicycle, instead of by car, allowed her to go much further… and this is how she developed projects and studies for the City aimed at increasing urban cycling—and, consequently, the number of cyclists.
You have been working in mobility for many years. How have you seen mobility evolve in Bellinzona over time? Did the creation of the “New Bellinzona” in 2017 represent a turning point?
I have had the privilege of witnessing the city change over the past decade. In 2013, I struggled to find a photo of a cyclist on Bellinzona’s streets; today, fortunately, we see many, also thanks to the fact that we have managed to build and equip quality urban cycling routes. This trend had already started before the municipal merger and then gradually spread to other districts. The merger broadened the perspective and gave new momentum to the concept of the urban cycling network: the Cycling Mobility Plan (PMC)—published in 2024 and developed in collaboration with cycling interest groups—defines and categorises a series of measures aimed at doubling the number of trips made by bicycle (in 2022, these accounted for about 3.2% of total journeys), bringing them to around 7%. I would say that this broader geographical vision has made it possible to set more ambitious and coordinated goals, and given current progress, I am optimistic.
The population of Bellinzona is growing. What are the main mobility challenges today? Are infrastructures for active mobility and public transport keeping pace with demand?
First and foremost, I think of the challenge of individual mobility. We need to change our approach, moving away from “because we’ve always done it this way” or “because we’ve never done it this way”—which ultimately mean the same thing and prevent us from embracing change. Especially for people of my generation, reaching adulthood meant being able to drive a car and experience a new sense of freedom. Today, this idea fortunately feels increasingly outdated, and I find that younger generations are more open and understand that freedom means something else.
The very concept of mobility has changed. You can work from your sofa while attending a meeting in Dubai. We must rethink traditional mobility and respond to new and different needs. The concept of the “15-minute city,” for example, is a powerful way to express new urban development strategies that imply a different kind of mobility.
Urban infrastructure for alternatives to the car is continuously growing, and what I observe is that demand is increasing in parallel. This is positive, but it requires constant effort to adapt both the network and public transport services. Unfortunately, urban space is often misunderstood and undervalued: we should reclaim every square metre of public space to recognise and redevelop it. Since it is often not possible to create new road space for cycle lanes or dedicated public transport lanes, it becomes essential to rethink urban redevelopment and the design of networks for alternative mobility. This is also about giving citizens spaces for meeting, socialising and simply being—places where it is pleasant to stay. The key is to overturn the idea that all roads are exclusively for motorised vehicles. I am optimistic that the city can meet these new demands.
What is the City of Bellinzona’s current mobility strategy? How do the Cycling Mobility Plan, the School Mobility Plan and the concept of “10-minute neighbourhoods” integrate with each other?
The city’s strategy is to integrate “traditional” vehicular mobility with alternative and public mobility, ensuring a better balance between different users. In other words, it’s not just about cars—there are also pedestrians, cyclists and buses, and all must coexist peacefully, without one dominating the others.
A clear hierarchy of the road network, a better understanding of how to reorganise public spaces as places for meeting and leisure, and proper consideration of the interactions between different modes of transport are essential.
The School Mobility Plan (PMS), now extended to all districts, the Cycling Mobility Plan (PMC), which sets out flexible and dynamic measures for the coming decade, and the future Pedestrian Mobility Plan are the institutional tools underpinning Bellinzona’s actions (see the Municipal Action Plan, PAC).
The recent “15-minute city” experiment in Camorino, successfully conducted by SUPSI with the involvement of the City, teachers, associations and families, complements these policies and contributes to a shared goal: transforming today’s mobility—still largely car-oriented—into a more integrated, sustainable and community-based system. In other words, moving from a mobility model centred on individual motorised transport to a more diverse, flexible and efficient one, not only environmentally but also socially. Realising that roads are shared spaces—where you may encounter cyclists, pedestrians, buses or children crossing—is essential to changing our behaviour as drivers.
How important is it for a public administration to collaborate with external partners (schools, institutes, associations, etc.) in developing new mobility strategies?
Extremely important. The same issue can be seen from many different perspectives, and integrating these viewpoints allows us to understand it more fully. This helps guide decisions that always aim to serve the public interest.
Analysing situations from a scientific research perspective—whose goal is to understand real-life dynamics—helps us better grasp the phenomena we observe and develop innovative, experimental approaches.
In other words, a public administrator often lacks the time to thoroughly investigate the causes and effects of individual mobility choices; the City, however, can make itself and its territory available for experimentation without detracting from everyday operations. In this respect, SUPSI researchers have played a key role, both in proposing and managing experiments from which the City has drawn valuable insights to improve its policies.
You will soon leave your position. With what mindset do you look at the future of mobility in Bellinzona? What direction do you hope the City will continue to pursue?
I am definitely optimistic. Bellinzona has made significant progress over the past decade, and more steps are yet to come. I have truly seen the city change with my own eyes, and today I could take dozens of photos of cyclists every day. Bellinzona will be able to further develop alternative mobility. It will be a pleasure to watch it continue moving in the right direction.