Bologna: The Italian City Rewriting Urban Planning
From Trams to Low Speed Zones, Bologna Shows How Comprehensive Mobility Policies Can Support Cycling
I meet Andrea Colombo, project manager of Bologna Città 30 from 2023 to 2025 and now legal expert in sustainable mobility and road safety, on a sunny winter day in the centre of the city, in between a local market and a row of the famous porticoes, where pedestrians stroll and chat at any time of the day.
Andrea is a born-and-bred Bolognese, and he has seen the city he loves and grew up in change immensely over the years, also thanks to his continuous efforts to improve wellbeing. As an activist in anti-traffic and anti-smog local committees, he began demanding change in the city 20 years ago, and has worked his way up to become a public administrator and on to being head of one of the most ambitious mobility projects Italy has seen.
I had already talked to Andrea a year ago to discuss the implementation and the success of the first year of the 30 km/h speed limit in Bologna. Now, as I am writing in February, after being in place for two years, the much debated speed limit has been lifted: the appeal of a taxi driver before the Regional Administrative Court was successful, and due to a technical legal issue, the court temporarily annulled the regulation.
Important note: on the 18th of March, I received the awaited news of the over-turning of the sentence stopping the 30km/h speed limit! From the 20th of April, cars in Bologna will have to slow down again, thanks to an incredible technical work of Comune di Bologna and legal support from Andrea Colombo.
This article examines the case of Bologna in its uniqueness: a city in a deeply car-centric country rewriting what it means to prioritise liveability for its citizens, by heavily investing in sustainable and active mobility.
Bologna, Building a Tramway to Increase Cycling
I routinely come to Bologna every few years, and every time I am faced with a different view. Yes, the porticoes remain, and so do the colourful characters inhabiting the streets of the oldest university town in the world, but street design is ever changing.
As I walk through the centre in February 2026, I see the gigantic construction work which has been taking place since 2024 to build 23 km of tramway lines, which should be completed in the summer of 2026.
“I must say, the citizens are not happy about the construction sites,” Andrea tells me. “Of course, they are a nuisance; the noise, the traffic diversions, it is a lot to take in. But in the areas where the tramway has already been completed, the difference is striking. The best example comes from Canale Riva Reno: the requalification of an entire street through which we uncovered an old city canal by removing parking spots. The canal is now in a pedestrian area, and people are strolling around there continuously. And the tram will pass close by, creating a harmonious environment.”
Andrea strongly believes in the power of a strong public transportation network in promoting cycling and active mobility, and sees it as a key factor in the decrease of traffic and pollution.
Indeed, the requalification of Via Riva Reno is a beautiful example of the changes occurring in Bologna and their impact, but many remain doubtful about the drastic changes. “People are always sceptical at the beginning,” explains Andrea. “But they need to touch and feel the changes this tramway will bring, exactly like in the case of Città 30. At the beginning, many people could not see the benefits, and now we have residents calling us to implement it more strictly on their road, with traffic calming measures.“
Cycling on the Rise
Bicycle racks across the city rarely seem to have a free space. Rusty bikes pile up alongside the white-and-orange shared e-bikes in a kind of organised chaos typical of student towns. Meanwhile, cycle lanes continue to expand, and cycling traffic has steadily increased in recent years.
The history of Bologna and the bicycle runs deep. With its flat landscape and relatively mild climate, moving by bicycle has always been a favourable option. And while ridership had steadily increased since 2012, it surged in 2022, with a political leadership putting citizens and their well-being at the centre of their policies.
Bologna is home to a widespread bike-sharing system, RideMovi, used by thousands of people and recording growing numbers year after year. The day with the most bike-share rides in 2025? The 20th of June, with 20,216 rides across the city, coinciding with a concert by beloved Bolognese singer Cesare Cremonini. Paradoxically, the tramway construction works are slowing down buses and public transport, which has led to an increase in cycling: in 2022, an average of 15,592 people a month were using the bike-sharing service; in 2025, the average figure rose to 44,356.
The bike-sharing fleet now comprises 3,500 e-bikes. “In 2016, we made the choice not to entrust our bike-sharing system to just any company,” Andrea explains. “We decided to invest public money, regulate the service through a competitive tender, and offer proper standards of public service. This paid off immensely. The service is used continuously, and with capped tariffs, it remains affordable.”
The Results of Bologna Città 30
In the two years of Bologna Città 30, impressive results have been achieved. Comparing the biennium 2024–2025 with the preceding one, we can count:
17 fewer victims of road violence (a decrease of 43.6%)
350 fewer people injured, and 700 fewer accidents
A saving in social costs of almost 66 million euros.
It is worth noting that in 2025 there were 12 fatalities on the streets of Bologna. However, 9 of those occurred on roads with a 50 km/h limit, which invites reflection on the role speed plays in road violence.
According to the latest ISTAT report on road accidents, Bologna also stood out positively compared to other Italian cities: while accidents increased by 4.3% elsewhere between 2023 and 2024, Bologna recorded a decrease of 9.8%. The same pattern holds for injuries: +3.9% in other cities, -10.7% in Bologna.
And beyond safety, mobility itself has deeply changed. In 2025, car trips decreased by 9%, while bike trips increased by 19%.
Trying to Change Mobility Laws Across the Country
More than a quarter of daily journeys in Italy are already made on foot or by bike. Yet pedestrians and cyclists remain among the most exposed and least protected users of the country’s roads. A new legislative proposal, presented to the press in February by MP Valentina Ghio and developed with the contribution of Andrea Colombo and FIAB (Italy’s Federation for Environment and Cycling) seeks to radically change the status quo.
The bill proposes a new hierarchy of road responsibility, a dedicated national fund, and even a levy on car advertising. At its heart is a change which would affect both the Highway Code and the Civil Code. Under the new framework, road users would be divided into the “stronger user” and users of “active mobility”, meaning cyclists and pedestrians. In the event of a collision, the driver of the heavier vehicle would be presumed, unless proven otherwise, to bear greater responsibility for the incident.
It is a principle already familiar in several Northern European countries, including the Netherlands, and one that Andrea Colombo, who helped draft the bill, has long supported: “I decided to support the deposit of this bill in the Chamber to oppose the new auto-centric Italian traffic code” In a previous Substack article, I have pointed out the problems and contradictions of this new traffic code. “We are working to build a new horizon, and to put the basis to build more Città 30 across the country,” he adds.
What the Future Holds for Bologna
Despite the temporary set-back of the lifting of the 30km/h speed limit, Andrea continues to hold an optimistic view:
“I am very positive about the future, trends are going in the right direction: traffic is decreasing, bike ownership and use are increasing, and last year the number of subscriptions to public transport reached an all-time high. If we can fully restore and realize Città 30, complete and launch the tram service, and improve the cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, it will be a monumental change for mobility and public space in the city. I don’t see any other choice but to go forward in this direction.”
Bologna is a special city, which one cannot easily forget. Its strong identity, rooted in student and workers’ movements, and on the principle of welcoming everyone and leaving no one behind, is unique and deserves praise. Bologna’s mobility revolution, despite being often disregarded by Italian politicians, is moving the country forward and showing everyone that another future, one where the citizen is at the center, is not just possible, but achievable.
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The data here is genuinely striking and that's part of what makes the framing feel like a missed opportunity. A 43.6% drop in road fatalities and a tripling of bike-share ridership in three years would be a compelling story for a city planner, a public health official, or a municipal finance director who has never once thought about cycling advocacy. The procurement model for RideMovi alone — public investment, competitive tender, capped tariffs — is an argument worth making in its own right.
The taxi driver's court challenge is the most politically revealing moment in the piece, and it passes almost without comment. One legal filing temporarily suspended two years of measurable public benefit. That's the whole tension that exists. Who does the urban space belong to, and what institutional arrangements are durable enough to hold that answer?
Bologna has clearly built something worth examining beyond the cycling tracks. I'm curious whether you see a broader audience for this story, or whether that's your deliberate choice?
Rewriting a new chapter in non motorised transit, sports and well-being.