The annual award in memory of Sir Colin Buchanan was presented by Paul Buchanan at this year’s European Transport Conference in Strasburg. For the last two years the award has gone to big projects: Congestion Charging and the Athens Olympics. This year celebrated the virtue of persistence and the cumulative impact of smaller initiatives.

The award went to Dr Pietro Gelmini who, has advised successive political administrations of Bergamo for over 30 years. Over that time he proposed, planned and introduced a series of policies designed to retain the character and quality of life in Bergamo and not allow unrestrained traffic growth to spoil it.

Bergamo now benefits from:

• Complete pedestrianisation of the old town during weekends and permanently for many of the most beautiful squares
• 5,000 new underground parking spaces with the same number removged from surface level
• The reopening of the furnicular railway and start of construction of two tram lines

Pietro has designed the measures but also brought the politicians and public along with him. He has managed to persuade people of the advantages derived from restricting their personal mobility. Demand restraint by consensus rather than force.