Has anyone ever bothered to measure the quality of the air our children breathe in front of their schools? Well, they have done it in other European cities, and the results are as alarming as they are enlightening. The European ranking just published by Clean Cities shows how Italy remains at the stake: Bologna (16th), Milan (23rd) e Turin (24th) are struggling, especially due to a lack of separate bike lanes and low-speed zones. School streets could be the turning point, but Italy is proceeding timidly where other countries have made child safety an absolute priority.
The breath of cities is the breath of children
I really like the few school streets we have in Italy. When I drive through them, I feel something different, almost electrifying: children running freely, parents chatting without the anxiety of traffic, a decidedly cleaner air. It is not an illusion: the data confirm that school streets have a real impact on air quality. What is missing is the political will to multiply them.
The new ranking of Clean Cities Campaign confirms it ruthlessly: when it comes to child-friendly urban mobility, we do not have a single Italian city in the European top 10.
The right path exists: three indicators we cannot ignore
The report is based on three key indicators: the number of school streets, the presence of separate cycle paths and the extension of 30 km/h speed zones.
On this last point, the difference is striking: In Paris 89% of the streets have this limit, while in Bologna, our “city 30” par excellence, we are still light years behind the best European practices. There is one fact that I find particularly touching: according to a survey commissioned by Clean Cities, 88% of Italian children would like a school road, but only 7% actually have one available. This distance between desire and reality is an abyss that should make us reflect.
Also because, as mentioned, while we are discussing there are other cities that are definitely taking action. Paris is transforming 180 school streets into fully pedestrianized spaces, aiming for 300 by 2026. In London there are already over 600 of them. No fairy tales, all concrete interventions that have already demonstrated their effectiveness: in the London schools where this measure has been implemented, Nitrogen dioxide levels dropped by 23%. Considering that air pollution causes approximately a thousand premature deaths among children and adolescents every year in Europe, we cannot afford to stand still.
Milan, a ray of hope
Not all is lost. Milan ranks second in Europe for the number of school streets, with 14 permanent pedestrianizations completed by the end of 2024 and another 5 under construction for 2025, in addition to 23 car-free streets during school entry and exit times. A good start, but still too little.
Bottom pressure works
There is one element that gives me hope: Anna Becchi, coordinator of Streets for Kids, emphasizes that “the best results in terms of school roads are observed where there is strong civic pressure from below”. Organized parents can make a difference, as demonstrated by the cases of Milan, Rome and Turin. Until the end of May, hundreds of demonstrations by children will ask for school roads throughout Italy. Do we support them? Above all: will we be able to listen to them, or will we continue to prioritize the convenience of adults over the health and safety of children?
Because in the end, as always, it's about choices. And choosing child-friendly streets means choosing more livable cities for everyone.
