The iconic porticos of Torino not only offer shelter from rain or intense summer sun; they also shape the city’s social fabric. These wide, inviting sidewalks create a sense of community and interaction that Jane Jacobs famously described in The Death and Life of Great American Cities as essential to a vibrant urban landscape. Beneath these porticos, businesses and residents alike find their “third space”—a place to gather and connect. Coffee shops often set tables under the porticos, creating an extension of their businesses. Other business, have their patrons waiting in line under the porticos, where neighbors might interact with each other without stepping into private spaces.
The porticos foster regular encounters that follow the natural rhythm of daily life. Here, strangers feel less like anonymous faces and more like familiar participants in the city’s collective energy.
One particularly striking feature is the covered crosswalks. Never have I seen such a thoughtful design for pedestrians. While these 18km of porticos in Torino were built with the pleasure of royal families in mind. These porticos were interconnected for a seamless passeggiata protected from rain, wind and sun. Today, these translates into covered crosswalks at street level, offering pedestrians the unusual luxury of a sheltered path across intersections. There’s no need to dash across the street to avoid rain; a roof above protects you!
Additionally, these lively spaces often host city initiatives, like the seasonal lights under the porticos, creating an immersive experience where residents and visitors alike can enjoy decorative displays, safe from cars and weather.
There is more to discuss about Torino, for instance the great connectivity, the easiness to navigate public transit or to acquire transportation tickets, the protected bike lanes, bike parking infrastructure, pedestrian areas, limited traffic zones, and many more, but we will elaborate on that on a different post.
The greener, the merrier 