Il legame invisibile tra vitalità dello spazio pubblico pedonale e qualità dell’ambiente sonoro urbano

How can post-pandemic cities enhance their pedestrian infrastructures? The article reflects on the need to reconsider the urban planning tools that could facilitate such a goal. As a precondition for the implementation of urban design projects aimed at strengthening pedestrianized urban spaces, this text focuses on the key features that contribute to the vitality, attractiveness and livability of public space. Among these characteristics, central to this article is the thematization of the urban sound environment, considered as the sum total of the human, non-human and mechanical sounds that shape the everyday sensory experience of city users. Exploring the invisible thread that links the vitality of pedestrianized public spaces with the overall qualities of the urban sound environment, the article aims to trigger a wider conversation on the crucial role of planning tools (starting from, but not limited to, those that involve the management of urban sounds) in shaping the post-pandemic urban public space.