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Roberto Bobbio
Università di Genova, Italia
Flats Forward Waterfront Summit Agenda
Cleveland, 17-18 October 2011
Rebirth, Catalyst, Identity:
The Role of Waterfront Development in City Life.
The case of Genoa
Genoa:
what it is
A middle size city
(650,000 inh., 1million in the
metropolitan area)
Capital city of an Italian
Region (Liguria) known for
its sea resorts
The major Italian port
A post-industrial city, in
search for a new role
where it is
some 8 millions people (with the highest income in Italy)
live within 2 h travel from Genoa
200 km
tradition
&
identity
one of the most
ancient trade centers
and better preserved
Old City
in Europe
a very dense
Mediterranean City
The City
&
Old Port
The Old Port is a small part of the 20 miles long Genoa waterfront
Unfit to modern ships, it has been progressively abandoned since the 1970s
The 1980 City Plan located in the Old Port some urban services
In 1985 the remaining harbour activities moved; then the City, the Region
and the Port Authority formed a Commission of 6 members (2 each)
entrusted to study the possibilities of integrating the Old City and the Old
Port.
In 1987 the Commission presented the first proposal.
OLD PORT
1992:
the Pulsar
Effect
In 1992 Genoa hosted an International Exhibit, as part of the Columbus
Celebrations.
The Expo was located in the Old Port. Investments by the State permitted to
restore the old buildings, build an Aquarium and rearrange the open spaces.
Everything was designed to stay, aiming to convert permanently the Port to
urban uses and prompt a process of re-integration between the Old City and
the Old Port.
From special events to
current management
After the Expo, the State handed
over the land to the City that
entrusted it to a Public Agency
with the scope to facilitate the
rehabilitation programme.
Events like the G8 meeting in
2001 and the European City of
Culture in 2004 provided
resources for transforming other
portions of the Old Port.
Meanwhile, the Port Authority
was restructuring the Cruise and
Ferry Terminals located
immediately westward of the Old
Port.
So the new Waterfront
has expanded.
The Sea Museum and the
new Faculty of
Economics were built in
the old Darsena, on the
site the medieval
Arsenals and close to the
oldest drydock in Italy.
In front of the Museum
the Urban Lab is moored
– it is the Master Plan City
Office, designed by the
Genoese architect Reno
Piano.
Managing the Old Port
1992: EXPO: a part of Old Port is redesigned and opened to the public
1995: The Porto Antico di Genova SpA is established
• City of Genoa 51%
• Chamber of Commerce 39%
• Port Authority 10%
Finalities of the Porto Antico di Genova:
• to integrate the Old Port into the City
• to make the Old Port a livable place all the year around fostering cultural
events, congresses, public facilities
• to create a touristic attraction of international range
• to boost tourism in order to promote new development
LAND USES
23% Culture, permanent exhibit
and museums
20% Congress Centre
17% Leisure, education
15% Facilities and parking lots
12% Offices
7% Restaurants and bars
6% Retail
DIMENSIONS
• 117.000 sq m total land surface
• 86.000 sq m open spaces
• 36.436 sq m water surface
• 70 firms settled
• 900 new jobs
• every year > 250 events and > 3,5
millions visitors
• the Aquarium is the 3rd more visited
spot in Italy (~ 1 mill visitors / year)
• 50 millions € / year the turnover of
the linked activities in the City
p
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o
p
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e
a
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v
i
t
i
e
s
Planning
the Old City -
and Port
The 2000 City Plan (PUC
2000) accurately preserved
the “existing city” and
provided the frame for
requalification projects.
The 2002 Carta del recupero
(“Rehabilitation Map”) takes
into account the Old City and
the Old Port jointly.
Access
Connectivity
Co-existence
The Old Port is the waterfront of the
Old City, whose narrow streets are
closed to private car traffic.
Since 2004, the pedestrian area
has ben enlarged, to include the
City Centre.
mixed use as a matter of success
Pleasure boats and Cruise ships coexist in the Old Port Bay; a Container
terminal operates just in front of the Congress area.
The view of an alive port is one of the major attraction of the City
Waterfront.
New urban
spaces,
a new social
dimension
The Old Port is now a
leisure area for the
citizens, a tourist
destination
a meeting place for the
immigrants
Near to the business &
retail centre and to the
poorest City’s
neighbourhoods, the
Old Port is a place were
people of different
classes, cultures and
origins melt.
