Balgarianovinite.com The goal is not to oppose car use, but to find the right balance where cars are present without being the only solution, said architect Paolo Gandolfi, an expert in sustainable mobility and urban cycling infrastructure, during the conference “Bicycle Mobility in Italy and Reggio Emilia”, held at the Union of Architects in Bulgaria on Friday.
The event was organized by the Italian Embassy in Sofia, the Italian Cultural Institute, and the Union of Architects to mark Made in Italy Day 2026 and the upcoming start of Giro d’Italia 2026 from Bulgaria.
Gandolfi highlighted key issues linked to excessive car use, including air pollution and road accidents, which he described as a leading cause of premature death. He added that driving increases stress and social isolation, while alternatives like cycling encourage social interaction. Car ownership is also significantly more expensive: in Italy, a person commuting daily by car spends around EUR 4,500 annually, compared to about EUR 150 for cycling, he said. In Reggio Emilia, annual spending on roads reaches EUR 3 million, while cycling infrastructure receives around EUR 400,000.
Gandolfi said that Italy actively promotes bicycle production, cycling as a sport, and its use for leisure. In 2025 alone, 2 million bicycles were produced in the country, generating EUR 2.5 billion in revenue. The sector includes 220 companies employing around 17,000 people, excluding related industries. The Italian cycling association has 100,000 members and 3,000 clubs.
Italian Ambassador Marcello Apicella added that Giro d’Italia 2026 is not just a sporting event, but a journey that brings together people, regions, and cultures under the banner of sport and sustainable mobility.
In early April, the Bulgarian News Agency launched its new section “Giro d’Italia 2026 – Cycling in Bulgaria,” dedicated to Bulgaria’s hosting of three stages of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, which will pass through the country from May 8 to May 10, 2026. Italian Expert Calls for Balanced Urban Mobility, Greater Investment in Cycling Infrastructure 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-04-17 18:53:45 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law