After Dutch libraries generating electricity through special exercise bikes while reading or working on a computer, green cycling has now arrived in the world of culture and education in Italy. The flagship of this new philosophy is the University of Florence: through the "UniFi Pedals" project, the Florentine university is joining the sustainable mobility project "Pedal, Florence Rewards You", organized by the City of Florence.

The University of Florence has purchased 500 kits that have been freely distributed since last summer to students and staff, promoting alternative transportation to cars and motorcycles and improving environmental quality and citizens' health. Thus, students, PhD candidates, research fellows, professors, and university employees can receive a small reimbursement by cycling. However, some minimum requirements like residence and domicile are necessary to participate in the project, which means living in the municipalities of Florence, Bagno a Ripoli, Calenzano, Campi Bisenzio, Lastra a Signa, Scandicci, Sesto Fiorentino, and Signa.

To be eligible for the kit, participants must use their own bicycle, standard or electric-assisted, to commute to work or study. The kit, created by Pin Bike, is applied to the bicycle and, through a bluetooth hardware device, certifies the actual use of the vehicle. The advantages are multiple: while helping to keep the environment clean, users can also receive a small economic return.

With this system, kilometers traveled on home-work-study routes will correspond to economic incentives from the City of Florence, divided into two types: those who abandon a motorized vehicle in favor of a bicycle will receive 20 cents per kilometer on the outward or return journey to the University (and 5 cents per kilometer on generic routes within the City of Florence). In the second mode, those already using bicycles will earn 15 cents per kilometer for trips to and from UniFi (and 5 cents per kilometer for generic routes). In any case, the maximum reimbursable amount will always be 30 euros per month.

Participation request is very simple and must be done through the Pin Bike app. The project, on an experimental basis, will last until June 2, 2025, or until the resources for rewards are exhausted. "UniFi Pedals" is co-financed under "Pedal, Florence Rewards You", one of the pilot projects developed with citizens within the "Florence for Climate" design, part of the Program Agreement for adopting measures to improve air quality signed between the Tuscany Region and the Ministry of Environment and approved by the City of Florence.

Before the University of Florence, Bologna had already created a sustainable mobility project in its university. Almabike provided students with 600 bicycles with personalized design. In 2022, approximately 300 Almabike were distributed to students, and a project to distribute around 200 Almabike to ER.GO student residences was initiated to ensure ecological mobility for resident students.

Italy still has much work to do in sustainable mobility, but Florence and Bologna, along with other Italian cities, are demonstrating that ecology is appealing and beneficial, and by working with younger generations, environmental education can move more quickly.

In the photo, Rector Alessandra Petrucci and Florence City Councilor for Mobility, Viability and Tramway Andrea Giorgio