Problems of pedestrian trails in urban spaces

Abstract

Many urban spaces are mostly revealed by walking along or inside them. In this context, pedestrian trails play a special role because it mediatesperception, establishes the speed, succession and character of landscape experiences. The walkways represent a means of directing or controlling landscaping. Trails development can be dotted with elements or points of interest, consisting of vegetation or constructed objects. Along alleys, the trails can be dilated in some places, becoming areas of ambient interest with resting places, water games and vegetal compositions. Navigating or scrolling along a trail, the landscape's perception must be controlled and dosed so that we do not reveal too much at once, nor do we strain the viewer by preventing it from penetrating in depth. The relaxation places must offer physical and psycho-emotional comfort, both through the elements of their design and by the aesthetic arrangement of the adjacent frame.