A city for walking: changes in Pontevedra mobility policies

The city of Pontevedra, in Galicia (NW Spain) is currently known worldwide for the success of its mobility policies, focused for several decades now on promoting pedestrian mobility. The urban reform process carried out by the same municipal government since 1999 has received different national and international awards and prizes. In this article we will analyse the foundations of this urban transformation. What began as a fight against the private car evolved towards a positive vision, which defines Pontevedra as "a city for walking". The focus has therefore been placed on promoting pedestrian mobility, a means of transport that is currently fully accepted in our cities within the modal split. Thus, a model of a pedestrian-friendly city, of proximity, of sociability in the streets, and which has returned public space to citizens, was consolidated. In short, a city in which the key is quality of life.