Bari, Italy
City population: 312579
Duration: 2019 – ongoing
Implementation status: Ongoing
Scale: Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level, Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Residential
Last updated: October 2021

The project was born with the idea of solving the huge debate around the creation of a city park that connects different parts of the city. The area close to the railway will be regenerated thanks to an above-ground park. This solution will allow to have a new green space in the city, and an additional panoramic view that will be experienced thanks to a new cycling path. In this way the whole area that surrounds the rails of the central station will be regenerated, providing at the same time an attempt to mend the urban and social fabric. (Ref.1.)

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
  • Railroad bank and track greens
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests
  • Green corridors and green belts

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Social cohesion
  • Social interaction
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Improving mental health
  • Improving physical health
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
  • Economic development: service sectors
  • Tourism support

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Transformation of previously derelict areas

Project objectives

The masterplan proposed has the goal to regenerate the whole central area of the city, the one of the railway station. The garden which will be build for a total lenght of 3 km, will be the center of recreational and cultural activities, prooting new services, restaurants, sports area by creating new jobs. In addition, the whole park will be considered the new "green lung" of the city, home of several species of animals and plants. (Ref. 1&2)

Implementation activities

The company Fuksas is in charge of implementing the project, as they have won the contest established by the city of Bari. The main activities will consist in the extension of the existing park for 3 km above the central railway, in the central part of the city and the creation of recreational and commerical activities within the new park. Without burying the rail track, the project aims at the rebirth of a strongly degraded area and pass through a large elevated park, 3 km long with an east-west bike path. (Ref.1.)

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Citizens or community groups
  • Young people and children

Governance

Management set-up

  • Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Unknown

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The city of Bari implemented a general plan for urban regeneration process. As the area of the railway station was identified as one of those needing intervention, the municipality established a contest for private companies to design new solutions. The Fuskas studio won the contest, and they are responsible to implement the project they designed. There is still a debate on the financial duties of private actors, for example those owning the railway infrastructure (Ref. 1&3.)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (The intervention is part of the overall plan of regeneration for the city (Piano urbanistico generale), which sets the guidelines and the areas of intervention. The Central Bari railway has been identified as intervention area (Ref.4.))

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public national budget
  • Public local authority budget
  • Other

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget
  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Climate change
  • Lowered local temperature
  • Environmental quality
  • Improved air quality
  • Improved soil quality
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
  • Restoration of derelict areas

Economic impacts

  • Stimulate development in deprived areas
  • Attraction of business and investment

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved liveability
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Increased opportunities for social interaction
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Improved physical health
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References

Ref.1. Studio Fuksas (2013). Baricentrale - riqualificazione area ferroviaria, Available at Source link (Accessed 18-6-2020)
Source link (2013), Il Progetto di Fuksas per Riconvertire le Aree Ferroviarie Dismesse di Bari Centrale, Available at Source link (Accessed 4-8-2020)
Ref.3. BariToday (2013), Concorso Baricentrale, vince il progetto Fuksas
„Concorso Baricentrale, vince il progetto presentato da Fuksas“, Available at Source link, (Accessed 4-8-2020)
Ref.4. AffariItaliani (2014), Fuksas, Baricentrale e Rossani. Il futuro della città levantina è verde, Available at Source link, (Accessed 4-8-2020)
Ref.5. Source link (2013). Bari Centrale, il progetto di Massimiliano Fuksas. Bari: Source link