New shelters planned for Florence tram stops along the viali

Florence is set to introduce covered tram stops along the city’s ring roads (viali) as part of the new tramway line to Bagno a Ripoli, addressing one of the main concerns raised by passengers in recent years.

The project, presented on 1 April by Mayor Sara Funaro and Mobility Councillor Andrea Giorgio, includes six stops — Matteotti, Donatello, Pellico, Leopardi, Beccaria and Piave — which will feature shelters, seating and integrated digital services. The design was developed by architect Fabrizio Rossi Prodi following a revised plan agreed with the local office of Italy’s heritage authority, the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio.

From no shelters to a revised design

The original plan for the tramline had excluded shelters along the viali, in line with previous decisions applied in Florence’s historic centre, where visual impact constraints often limit street furniture.

After further discussions with the Soprintendenza — the state body responsible for protecting cultural heritage and landscape — the project was redesigned. The new solution introduces lighter structures that aim to balance passenger comfort with the architectural and environmental context of the tree-lined boulevards.

City officials described the agreement as a step towards improving everyday usability of the tram system, particularly in adverse weather conditions.

Design and features

The new shelters are smaller than standard tram stops and designed to blend into their surroundings. They will be built entirely in green-tinted glass, echoing the colour of the trees along the viali, with a structure intended to visually reference the shape and lightness of foliage.

Each shelter will measure लगभग 12 metres in length, with a width between 2.5 and 3 metres depending on the type of platform, and a height of 2.8 metres.

Seating has also been redesigned: instead of stone-covered concrete benches, the stops will include slimmer steel seats in green tones, intended to be more comfortable and less visually intrusive.

In addition to physical infrastructure, all six stops will be equipped with:

• digital information displays,
• ticket machines,
• validators for contactless and paper tickets.

A response to passenger feedback

The lack of shelter at tram stops has been a recurring issue for users, particularly along exposed sections of the network. According to the city administration, the introduction of covered stops along the viali is intended as an initial response to these concerns.

The municipality indicated that similar solutions could be extended in the future to existing tram lines and to bus stops that still lack adequate protection, subject to further agreements with heritage authorities.

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