On September 27, 2019, the MOBI-AGE project team interviewed some tourists in the Historic Center of the city of Coimbra.
We had the opportunity to talk to eight seniors from Belgium, United States and Canada. They told us that they were very pleased with urban space in the Historic Center of Coimbra in general. The main qualities they highlighted were the density of points of interest, the sense of security, existence of places to rest and cleanliness of the urban space. Some reported constraints were related to scratched walls, lack of handrails, lack of signage, large slopes and poorly maintained pavement. Most did not use public transportation. Only one couple used the Botânico line bus and they were satisfied with the service.
It was very interesting talking to this group of tourists. They showed awareness that, on the one hand, there are certain obstacles to mobility in this Historic Center related to the type of pavement, inclines and lack of handrails. On the other hand, they know that many of these obstacles are part of the essence and beauty of the Historic Center and very unlikely to change.
We will try to return to the site once again to interview more people.
