Evaluating Urban Proximity: The Slowness Quality Index

Slowness allows us to experience different practices and spaces of proximity, depending on the means, e.g. on foot or by bike, and on the intention of the movement, e.g. for daily activities or for leisure. Such relation between slowness and spaces, both at urban and territorial scales, opens up scenarios in which mobility is not just an act of transport, but also a possibility of living and designing the places. From this perspective, the contribution discusses a method of analysis to evaluate the quality and the usability of slow paths, by introducing the Slowness Quality Index (SQI). The chapter describes the index and shows its application in an urban context, by evaluating 24 daily pedestrian routes (hypothetical paths between home and school, park, or other pupils’ activities) in the metropolitan area of Milan. The results obtained allow us to test the index and identify its possible developments and limitations.