# Curati della tua città, lei saprà prendersi cura di te | Giuseppe Grezzi | TEDxFoggia Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jUmIjtbGRc Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/9jUmIjtbGRc Generated: 2026-01-13T17:07:44.583+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Giuseppe Grezzi advocates for fundamentally reversing urban planning priorities in cities like Valencia, shifting focus from vehicles to people, as exemplified by Valencia's successful transformation into a highly livable, resilient, and efficient city, achieving significant results like adding 75 km of new bike lanes and reducing motorized vehicles. **Key Points:** - The 2024 flood in Valencia served as a brutal wake-up call regarding the excessive presence of cars in cities. - The speaker champions the philosophy that if a city is planned for cars and traffic, it gets cars and traffic; if planned for people and quality spaces, it gets people and quality spaces (citing Fred Kent). - Valencia is a 'City 30,' where 75% of roads have a speed limit of 30 km/h or less, a significant policy shift that required political will. - Key results include 75 km of new bike lanes (200 km total), a 214% increase in bike lane usage (2016-2023), 150,000 sq meters of new pedestrian zones, and a 10% reduction in motorized vehicles. - The city implemented projects like 'Una València Més Verda' (A Greener Valencia) with a €3 million investment for green infrastructure, including planting 152,000 trees and creating 498 hectares of parks. - Participatory mobility planning, such as the 'decidimVLC' consultation, involved citizens in co-designing projects to ensure solutions met community needs. ![Screenshot at 00:10: The opening title slide sets the theme: "THE AGE OF CARE / IL TEMPO DELLA CURA," juxtaposed with a stylized statue of David, symbolizing a return to humanistic values in urban design.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/9jUmIjtbGRc/00-00-10.jpg) **Context:** Giuseppe Grezzi, an expert in sustainable mobility, presents the transformation of Valencia, Spain, into a model for sustainable urban living, arguing that prioritizing human-centric design over vehicle infrastructure leads to healthier, more resilient cities. He emphasizes that this shift was catalyzed by a desire to reverse decades of car-centric planning and was bolstered by significant political commitment and citizen participation. ## Detailed Analysis Giuseppe Grezzi argues that cities must reverse their planning focus from accommodating cars to prioritizing people and quality of life, citing the 2024 Valencia flood as a critical moment of realization about car saturation. He quotes Fred Kent: "If you plan a city for cars and traffic, you will get cars and traffic. Instead, if you plan a city for people and quality places, you will get people and quality places." Grezzi details Valencia’s transformation, which began in earnest around 2015 and accelerated after 2019, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2030. The city implemented a 'City 30' policy, limiting speeds to 30 km/h or less on 75% of its roads. The results are substantial: 75 km of new bike lanes were added, resulting in a 214% increase in bike usage; 150,000 sq meters of new pedestrian zones were created; and motorized vehicles decreased by 10%. Furthermore, Valencia received the European Green Capital 2024 award, supported by a €3 million investment in green infrastructure (planting 152,000 trees and creating 498 hectares of parks). A critical component of this success was participatory planning, exemplified by the 'decidimVLC' initiative, where citizens co-designed projects, ensuring the resulting city was more accessible, safe, efficient, and participatory. ### The Need for Change - The 2024 Valencia flood exposed cities being hostile and unhealthy due to excessive cars; policies must transform cities to be more welcoming, resilient, and efficient. ### Rethinking Mobility Paradigm - The historical trend prioritized cars at the expense of pedestrians and cyclists; the goal is to reverse this, moving away from car-centric planning based on the principle that a city good for children is good for everyone (quoting Francesco Tonucci). ### Valencia's 30 km/h Policy - Declared the historical center a 'City 30' zone, limiting speeds to 30 km/h or less on 75% of roads, which required significant political will to change habits. ### Quantifiable Results (2016-2023) - Achieved 75 km new bike lanes (200 km total), 214% bike lane usage increase, 150,000 sq m new pedestrian zones, 10% fewer motorized vehicles, and a +50% balance improvement for the Transport Company. ### Green Infrastructure Investment - Projects like 'Una València Més Verda' involved a €3M investment to add 152,000 trees and 498 hectares of parks, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2030. ### Citizen Participation - The 'decidimVLC' initiative ensured mobility projects were participatory, involving citizens in co-designing a city that is safer, more accessible, and more livable. ![Screenshot at 00:08: Sponsors and partners slide for the TEDxFoggia event, listing main partners and supporters.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/9jUmIjtbGRc/00-00-08.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:40: Visual comparison showing the massive space taken by cars versus the space required for a single bus to move the same number of people, illustrating spatial inefficiency.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/9jUmIjtbGRc/00-00-40.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:53: Quote from Eduardo Galeano emphasizing that utopia serves as a direction to walk towards, not a destination.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/9jUmIjtbGRc/00-00-53.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:26: Slide demonstrating the drastic change in Valencia's central square: rows of parked cars replaced by open pedestrian space and a single bus.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/9jUmIjtbGRc/00-01-26.jpg) ![Screenshot at 02:20: Maps illustrating Valencia's structure and the expansion of green infrastructure \(parks and gardens\) across the metropolitan area, linked to the 'Valencia 2030' strategic plan.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/9jUmIjtbGRc/00-02-20.jpg)