Rethinking The Lakefront
Lugano / Switzerland /Paula Gabriela Urrutia Miranda / Stella Gelmini / Virgilio Diaz Guzman /
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Lugano is both a modern and a traditional city. The tradition is visible, above all, in the surrounding settlements. One of those is Gandria, a town of no more than 70,000 inhabitants located on the southern slope of Monte Brè.
The desire lines between Lugano and Gandria are strong because most of the habitants of Gandria move to Lugano to work or fulfill services. Nowadays, both sectors are connected by public transport networks as a bus route and ferry. Some pedestrian walks may offer connection between these 2 settlements.
One of the main attractions in Lugano is its lakefront, and given the touristic interest of Gandria, it would be expected that the extension of the lakefront towards this area would be attractive; nevertheless, the lake border hosts mostly private land.
It’s visible a contrast between both areas; while Lugano has a lakefront with intense public space and offers many activities, as we move away from the city center, this offer, and even public transport, decreases, stimulating the use of private cars instead of eco sustainable alternatives as the bike or walk.
