[24-25] Walkability has long been valued by city residents, including those in sixteenth-century Venice. Venice was among Europe’s most populous cities and grew rapidly from 115,000 to around 170,000 in the 1570s.
The city’s dense layout and narrow streets made animal transportation impractical, often leading to mockery from other Europeans. While Venice’s canals and boats were notable, boat hire was costly, and canals didn’t cover the entire city.
Pedestrians sometimes had to board ferries or n...