Last updated: September 2024
In 2022, the municipality of Cagliari launched a project to revitalize Viale Trieste, one of its avenues, by redesigning its roads and pedestrian areas and adding new green spaces. The project covers approximately 1,300 meters and 36,500 square meters, and will be completed in two phases, each focusing on different sections of the avenue. With a budget of 12 million euros, funded by municipal, national, and EU resources, the aim is to transform Viale Trieste into a vibrant, accessible, and attractive space for everyone. The renewal will introduce new green spaces and improved drainage systems to enhance soil permeability. As part of this, some trees will be relocated to other areas of the city to address root issues and improve survival rates. Dead or unstable ficus trees will be removed, while 79 new trees will be planted. Older ficus trees will be relocated to city parks, with younger ones planted along the avenue to prevent pavement damage and promote sustainability. The project also includes upgrading water supply and drainage systems to manage stormwater more effectively, reducing the risk of flooding and improving sustainability. Public lighting will be modernized, with new street lamps and dedicated lighting for pedestrian and bicycle paths to make the area safer and more welcoming after dark. However, the community has expressed concerns about the project, citing safety issues, delays, disruptions, and poor communication from officials. There is also significant opposition to replacing the historic ficus trees, valued for their environmental and historical significance, with Chinese pear trees and younger ficus (Refs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 16).
Photo of Viale Trieste after the implementation of the project.
Comune di Cagliari. n.d. “Viale Trieste: Riqualificazione Ambientale E Paesaggistica.” Comune Di Cagliari. Accessed August 24, 2024. https://www.comune.cagliari.it/portale/page/it/viale_trieste_riqualificazione_ambientale_e_paesaggistica?contentId=FPR168082.
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
Key challenges
- Environmental quality
- Soil quality improvement
- 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
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social justice and equity
- Social interaction
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Environmental Degradation
- Soil degradation and loss
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Limited economic opportunities and local livelihoods
Key priorities
Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of any other green urban spaces, Maintenance and management of urban nature, Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks), Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Soil remediation and revegetation, Ecological restoration of existing green spaces
Project objectives
The intervention on Viale Trieste in Cagliari aims to:
-Transform the area into a more functional, safe, and appealing urban space by improving traffic flow and pedestrian safety and by redesigning the street layout, adding new roundabouts, and creating dedicated bike paths and pedestrian areas. These changes are designed to promote equity and encourage walking and cycling while ensuring smoother vehicle movement.
-Include significant green enhancements, such as expanding green spaces and planting new trees, to address the street's environmental quality and aesthetic appeal.
-Reduce soil impermeability thanks to increase drainage along the street and better management of the urban water collection system by desealing paved surfaces and inserting permeable areas (earth, turf, gravel)
-Make Viale Trieste a more vibrant, accessible, suitable for interactions, and sustainable area that benefits both residents and visitors, creating a lively, green, and welcoming urban environment (Refs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6).
Implementation activities
The project begins with a comprehensive street redesign to improve traffic management and safety, including the addition of new roundabouts and dedicated lanes for cyclists and pedestrians. Green space enhancements involve replacing some existing trees with new plantings and expanding green areas to enrich the urban environment.
Of the 233 ficus trees, only those that are dead or at high risk of collapse, making conservation work both futile and dangerous, will be cut down. Additionally, 79 new trees will be planted, some as replacements. The remaining ficus trees will undergo gradual replacement: older trees will be uprooted and relocated to city parks, while younger and healthier trees, which will no longer damage pavements as they grow, will be planted in their place.
The public lighting system will be upgraded with new street lamps, while infrastructure improvements will include modern water supply, drainage systems, and enhanced soil sustainability. New pedestrian spaces and bicycle paths will also be added to promote walking and cycling, making the area more accessible for everyone.
The Viale Trieste renewal project is split into two phases:
Lotto 1: From Piazza Del Carmine to Via Pola, focusing on street redesign, green space, and lighting upgrades. Construction began in September 2022 and will finish by December 2023.
Lotto 2: From Via Pola to Viale Sant'Avendrace, with similar upgrades. Work started in December 2022 and will conclude by March 2024 (Ref. 2).
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
- Comune di Cagliari: The city council responsible for initiating, planning, co-funding, and overseeing the redevelopment project
-Community of Cagliari has been consulted on the design
- Neostudio Architetti Associati: The architectural firm awarded the contract to conduct the technical and economic feasibility study and develop the preliminary design, focusing on integrating functional, aesthetic, and environmental considerations into the project.
The first phase of the Viale Trieste redevelopment project is being carried out by a private construction company, with another subcontractor responsible for installing granite curbs and various types of paving, including granite and basalt.
Funding was also provided by the Italian government and the EU as part of the National Operational Programme on Metropolitan Cities (Italian national Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Plan) and PNRR - National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
(Refs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 13 & 14, 16)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(PNRR - National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR - Piano nazionale ripresa e resilienza); Italian national Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Plan
(Ref. 14, 16).)
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(Cagliari's Strategic Plan and a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (14); PON metro Cagliari (1))
Type of enablers
Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships), Support from transitional governance actors, Collaboration with other projects that implemented NBS, Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
- Public national budget
- EU funds
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Environmental quality
- Improved soil quality
- Expected improved soil quality
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved stormwater management
- Expected improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Expected increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Expected increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Increased number of species present
- Expected increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Increase in GDP
- Expected increase in GDP
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved liveability
- Expected improved liveability
- Safety
- Increased perception of safety
- Expected increased perception of safety
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
Yes
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Ecosystems and biodiversity, Introducing of non-native species, Social justice and conflicts, Lack of social acceptance
References
1.
Studio Ferima - Archiettetti Russo (2022). Viale Trieste Cagliari. Accessed on August 23, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Comune di Cagliari (2021). Viale Trieste: presentato il progetto di riqualificazione ambientale e paesaggistica. Accessed on August 23, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Comune di Cagliari (2023). Presentati i cantieri e la nuova viabilità di via Roma e viale Trieste. Accessed on August 23, 2024, [Source link];
4.
NeoStudio (n.d.). Riqualificazione ambientale e paesaggistica di Viale Trieste, Cagliari. Accessed on August 23, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Comune di Cagliari (n.d.). Riqualificazione ambientale e paesaggistica di Viale Trieste, Cagliari. Accessed on August 23, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Unione Sarda (2023). Cagliari, via al cantiere anche in viale Trieste: strada chiusa sino all’incrocio con via Caprera. Accessed on August 23, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Unione Sarda (2024). «Viale Trieste a Cagliari, mesi di disagi per aiuole piene di pietrisco?». Accessed on August 23, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Gruppo d'Intervento Giuridico (2021). Salviamo i Ficus di Viale Trieste a Cagliari. Petizione popolare.. Accessed on August 24, 2024, [Source link];
9.
Unione Sarda (2024). Cagliari, così il nuovo viale Trieste non piace: «Lavoravamo di più durante la pandemia». Accessed on August 24, 2024, [Source link];
10.
Comune di Cagliari (2022). Atlante demografico di Cagliari 2022. Accessed on August 24, 2024, [Source link];
11.
Comune di Cagliari (2021). progetto di fattibilità tecnico economica. Accessed on August 24, 2024, [Source link];
12.
Rapeanu, P (2024). Cagliari, esposto in Procura contro i lavori in viale Trieste: “Troppo lenti, grossi danni a residenti e commercianti”. Casteddu Online, Accessed on August 24, 2024, [Source link];
13.
Comune di Cagliari (2022). Dettaglio Gare. Accessed on August 24, 2024, [Source link];
14.
Comune di Cagliari (2019). CAPITOLATO PRESTAZIONALE. Accessed on August 24, 2024, [Source link];
15.
Metro Plus (n.d.). Città Metro Plus. Accessed on August 24, 2024, [Source link];
16.
Italian Government (n.d.). PNRR: rivoluzione verde e transizione ecologica. Accessed on August 25, 2024, [Source link];
17.
Casteddu Online (2021). “I ficus di viale Trieste? Non saranno tagliati. Verranno spostati nei parchi di Cagliari”. Accessed on September 15, 2024, [Source link];
Viale Trieste after the implementation of the project.
Comune di Cagliari. n.d. “Viale Trieste: Riqualificazione Ambientale E Paesaggistica.” Comune Di Cagliari. Accessed August 24, 2024. https://www.comune.cagliari.it/portale/page/it/viale_trieste_riqualificazione_ambientale_e_paesaggistica?contentId=FPR168082.
Viale Trieste after the implementation of the project.
Comune di Cagliari. n.d. “Viale Trieste: Riqualificazione Ambientale E Paesaggistica.” Comune Di Cagliari. Accessed August 24, 2024. https://www.comune.cagliari.it/portale/page/it/viale_trieste_riqualificazione_ambientale_e_paesaggistica?contentId=FPR168082.
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.