Footbridges as new urban spaces

By now, it is ascertained that towards the end of the 20th century a radical process of renewal concerned the modus operandi of infrastructural design. The theme of footbridges, in particular, has undergone a change that has led to an enrichment of the engineering project with values and meanings that once were only typical of architectural works. In conjunction with the advent in the new millennium, indeed, these works have been rediscovered as "vessels of metaphors" and a growing number of architects have started to notice the potential hidden behind their design. The reasons for this transformation are multiple but find a common origin in the response that, since the middle of the last century, the main European cities have been trying to give to the big ecological, social and urban crisis weighing on them. Drawing inspiration from the principles of sustainable urban development, these facts have marked the birth of a new generation of footbridges that, deeply different from what was previously produced, have become a kind of new "urban devices" able to redefine with their renewed appearance the image of the contemporary city, giving it a more sustainable dimension.