Two for the price of one: a cycle and pedestrian bridge that continues by stretching across the green roof of a Montessori school. This is the project that doubles the usefulness of the cycle route built in Utrecht, one of the main cities in the Netherlands. Families will thus be able to take their children directly to school by bike, passing through green areas in complete peace of mind.

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If bridges are normally imagined as functional yet isolated structures, the Dafne Schippers bridge project aims to overturn that concept by turning the structure into an integral part of the neighbourhood's urban design, in harmony with the surrounding green environment.

Features of the Utrecht cycle path on the bridge

The bridge crosses the Rhine–Amsterdam canal, is approximately 110 metres long, and connects the oldest part of Utrecht with the new Leidsche Rijn district. The green roof was created using the permaculture method and extends over the roof of the school's gymnasium. A low wall separates the cycle path — from which there is a panoramic view — from the school's private areas, such as those dedicated to recreation and outdoor play. The cycle and pedestrian route suddenly curves: this is not a matter of design but of integrating the route with its surroundings — in this case, the change in level to be overcome in an area where existing structures must be taken into account.

Utrecht cycle bridge: the 3D video

More telling than words is the video produced by Nextarchitects, which allows us to "visit" the route by bicycle through the use of three-dimensional graphics. From the shared area between the apartment blocks and the trees, you move directly onto the cycle path, which tackles the change in level by leaving the area below to reach the school gymnasium's green roof and arrive at the bridge crossing the canal.

The Netherlands is one of the countries that surprises most with its works dedicated to alternative and cycling mobility. Such as the cycle and pedestrian tunnel, inaugurated in 2016 to provide easy access to the entrance of Amsterdam's central railway station. The cycle bridge project that takes the path over the school's green roof would be something extraordinary for Italy. In the Netherlands, however, it has become the norm to decide to allocate significant sums to build a bridge dedicated exclusively to those who travel by bicycle or on foot.