A75 When Mobility nurtures Active Living: A case study

Abstract

Abstract Background The main campus at Universidad de Costa Rica, built in the decade of 1950´s, was intended for a population of less than ten thousand users. The original plan intended to prioritize pedestrian use by creating a central pedestrian sector with an extended park between the faculty buildings and a perimeter road. Over the years, demand for space has been translated into an important reduction of green areas for new parking and buildings. Currently, the campus serves a growing population of more than forty thousand people. Car use is massive inside the campus. Those changes have deteriorated both the aesthetic and social outcomes needed at an academic institution like the one under study. The current message reflected by the main campus´ infrastructure in terms of mobility is undergoing serious questioning. Therefore, since mid 2012, the university has begun a series of actions to improve pedestrian mobility, parking spaces, travel patterns, and so on. Fixing mobility problems at the campus has become an interesting lab to rethink the very concept of mobility. Old paradigms of mobility are falling apart and the discussion now moves to the rather new but exciting field of active living. Methods Due to the nature of the intervention, a mixed methods approach was chosen. Experts from different backgrounds have been invited to take part in the development and implementation of an Active Mobility Plan which elaborates over the concept of non-motorized transportation towards a vision of a healthy campus. The main goal for that “ad-hoc team of enthusiasts” is to create vibrant and healthy public spaces for pedestrians. Concrete actions included, landscape improvement by tree planting, rethinking the role of public art, a new lighting system for nocturnal activities, outdoor fitness equipment, annual car-free day, wider sidewalks, a shared road space that gives priority to cyclists, and the implementation of bicycle parking facilities. Results Analysis of different sources of data (both quantitative and qualitative) show significant positive evaluation from users. Pedestrian use of facilities has significantly increased since interventions started. Conclusions Conceptualizing mobility on a nontraditional way created the conditions for vibrant and healthy spaces at the university campus.