LUCCA
City of Lucca
Human-animal bonds hub
A small city in Tuscany, central Italy, Lucca has a population of about 88,000 inhabitants. It is a relatively wealthy city where tourism and creativity are cornerstones of the local economy, with festivals such as Lucca Comics & Games and Lucca Summer Festival. The city in turn presents important ageing problems.
IN-HABIT VALUE: Animals
AREA OF FOCUS: Whole city
What did the project achieve?
It created the first Human-animal (Hum-an) smart city in Europe. Animal Lines (animal paths such as cycle paths) accessible to all were built in order to reconnect the historic centre, the ancient walls and the surrounding green areas. Public spaces (such as recreational areas for dogs) have also been set up and used to promote activities that bring animals and humans together. Along with infrastructure, the project implemented several activities aimed at improving human wellbeing, such as cultural activities, new enterprises and tourism, all related to the hum-an bond. The whole sect of actions were accompanied by the creation of policies for a hum-an smart city.
IN-HABIT Legacy: Achievements and Numbers
15km of paths for people and pets were designed with 2 green areas equipped to foster relations between human and pets were created.
Animal-assisted therapies for seniors and fragile people were implemented and recurring education events, in schools, fairs, community settings reached over 2,000+ participants.