Bologna, Italy
City population: 380027
Duration: 2014 – 2015
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Protected Area, Natural Heritage Area/Untouched nature, Cultural Heritage Area, Public Greenspace Area
Last updated: October 2021

The project provides some improvements in the first part of the itinerary of the Navile river. In particular, it focuses on the restoration of the green system and the recovery of historical-architectural components in the area stretching between the Park of Villa Angeletti, the ancient village of Corticella and the municipality of Castel Maggiore. Restoring the route along the canal is the first step in an ambitious retraining hypothesis that sees Navile and its rich cultural and environmental heritage as the privileged axis for the recovery and development of the adjacent urban area (1).

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Institutional green space
  • Blue infrastructure
  • Riverbank/Lakeside greens
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Regulation of built environment
  • Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Enabling opportunities for physical activity
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
  • Tourism support
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Preservation of natural heritage
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
  • Preservation of historic traditions

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Maintenance and management of urban nature, Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas

Project objectives

Restoration of the historical and environmental heritage of the area along the Navile River, construction of a biking and trailing path to promote tourism (3).

Implementation activities

There were seven kinds of implementation activities: - opening and restoring the track; - recovering of crossings; - realization of areas for resting and information points, - realization of walkways, stairs, ramps and balustrades; - restoration of historic buildings and artefacts, - restoring of complementary paths, - creation and restoring of green areas (5).

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
  • Private foundation/trust

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Dissemination of information and education

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

Fondazione del Monte, Comuni di Bologna, Casalecchio e Castel Maggiore are the coordinators and promoters of the project (1).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (The NBS was applied following the guidelines of the European Landscape Convention (1).)
... a national policy or strategy? Yes (The National Legislative Decree about Soil Consumption is the background of this initiative (11). )
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (The intervention is part of a larger project called "Bologna delle Acqua" focused on the restoration of infrastructural and green areas around the city to encourage tourist activities (1). )

Financing

Total cost

€500,000 - €2,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public local authority budget
  • Private Foundation/Trust

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget
  • Donations

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased number of protection areas
  • Increased green space area

Economic impacts

  • More sustainable tourism
  • Attraction of business and investment

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Increased opportunities for social interaction
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Improved physical health
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Improvement in people’s connection to nature
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References

1. Urban Center Bologna (2014), Parco Lungo Navile, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)

2. Comune di Bologna (2012), Il percorso Il lungo Navile (Bologna Municipality feasibility analysis), Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)

3. Comune di Bologna (2009), IL LUNGO NAVILE da Casalecchio di Reno a Malalbergo studio di fattibilità per il completamento dell’itinerario, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)

4. Comune di Bologna (2009), IL LUNGO NAVILE da Casalecchio di Reno a Malalbergo studio di fattibilità per il completamento dell’itinerario, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)

5. Comune di Bologna (2009), IL LUNGO NAVILE da Casalecchio di Reno a Malalbergo studio di fattibilità per il completamento dell’itinerario, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)

6. Comune di Bologna (2013), Lungo Navile, 15 km di percorso ciclopedona Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)

7. Comune di Bologna (no date), Il Lungo Navile Interventi per il completamento dell’itinerario da Casalecchio a Castel Maggiore Scheda del Progetto esecutivo, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)

8. Comune di Bologna (no date), Tracciato del percorso e inquadramento degli interventi, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)

9. Comune di Bologna (no date), IL LUNGO NAVILE INTERVENTI PER IL COMPLETAMENTO DELL’ITINERARIO DA CASALECCHIO A CASTEL MAGGIORE (press conference presentation), Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)

10. Corriere di Bologna (2015), Lungo Reno Navile, la ciclabile super green. Inaugurati ieri i primi dieci chilometri del tracciato, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)

11. Teknoring (no date), Bologna modello di città resiliente: tutto sul progetto BlueAp, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)