Cagliari, Cagliari (FUA), Italy
City population: 384743
Duration: 2016 – ongoing
Implementation status: Ongoing
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: 150000 m2
Type of area: Previous derelict area, Residential
Last updated: October 2024

The "Parco degli Anelli" is a new green space project in Cagliari, located along the waterfront in the Sant'Elia district. Designed by Portuguese landscape architect João Ferreira Nunes and inaugurated in 2019, the park spans approximately 15 hectares, with over 4 hectares currently accessible to the public. The remaining area will undergo renovation in the next two phases of the project. The park is notable for its open design, free of walls and fences, and its direct access to the sea, making it a unique addition to the city's green spaces (Refs. 1, 2 & 7). This park exemplifies urban renewal by transforming a previously neglected and degraded area into a green, accessible to all public space. It is part of a broader context of redevelopment of peripheral neighborhoods, in this case the Sant'Elia district.(Refs. 6 & 9). Parco degli Anelli features flat terrain with numerous pedestrian and cycling paths for individual sports activities, along with expansive grassy areas covering about 27,000 square meters. The park is surrounded by approximately 500 newly planted trees and shrubs typical of Mediterranean maquis, including Aleppo pine, dwarf palm, European olive, and jacaranda. Future plans for the park include expanding into additional areas and connecting it to the rest of the city via a pedestrian and cycling bridge over the Palma Canal, as well as connecting it to the new waterfront promenade that is being built from Via Roma to Marina Piccola (Refs. 1, 2 & 7).

parco_degli_anelli
parco_degli_anelli
https://www.comune.cagliari.it/portale/page/it/parco_degli_anelli?contentId=GAL70246

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests

Key challenges

  • Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14)
  • Coastal protection / hazard mitigation
  • Marine and coastal biodiversity protection
  • Environmental quality
  • Soil quality improvement
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Habitat and biodiversity restoration
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Preservation of natural heritage
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Enabling opportunities for physical activity
  • Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
  • Combatting crime and corruption
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Social interaction
  • Sense of community and community engagement
  • Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
  • Tourism support

Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)

  • Land use and Socio-economic change
  • Limited economic opportunities and local livelihoods
  • Rapid urbanization
  • Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
  • Inadequate access to recreational opportunities
  • Disconnection from nature
  • Insecurity in public spaces

Key priorities

Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration), Social Justice and community

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Creation of green corridors (including connectivity between urban and rural ecosystems), Creation of large parks and urban and peri-urban forests, Coastal landscape management or protection, Coastal ecosystems restoration and maintenance (mangroves, dunes, saltplains, underwater meadows), Improving coastal resilience, Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Soil remediation and revegetation, Remediation activities of sites with very poor environmental quality, Transformation of previously derelict areas, Transformation of vacant land into green spaces

Project objectives

To transform a previously degraded area into a public park that includes Mediterranean vegetation and grassy landscapes (soil rehabilitation and revegetation) To create a green corridor that will connect various parks around Cagliari with the city center and its waterfront. To create a green space that supports cultural, recreational, and environmental activities by transforming the area into a venue for outdoor events such as cinema, music, and theater, alongside the indoor facilities of the historic Lazzaretto. To include pedestrian and cycling paths that promote outdoor activities and sustainable mobility To enhance tourism, boost the local economy, improve public safety, and strengthen the community interactions and its ties to the local community To be a park dedicated to the protection of natural elements represented primarily by the rocky hill and its rich Mediterranean scrub (coastal vegetation of thorny shrubs rich in birds and other vertebrates) (Refs. 1, 2, 6, 7 & 9).

Implementation activities

Initially, landscape architect João Ferreira Nunes developed a master plan that focused on the layout, vegetation, pathways, and the integration of the park with its surrounding areas. A significant aspect of the project involved infrastructure development, which included constructing pedestrian and cycling paths that traverse the park, promoting outdoor activities and sustainable mobility. In total, approximately 27,000 square meters were re-vegetated, featuring hundreds of tree and shrub specimens such as Aleppo pine, dwarf palm, European olive, and jacaranda, all of which are typical of the Mediterranean region. This planting not only enhances the park's natural beauty but also its ecological value. Public access facilities, including benches and lighting, were installed. Future plans include expanding the park area and improving connectivity to other parts of the city through projects like a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the Palma Canal and subsequent allotments of work that began in 2022. (Refs. 1, 2 & 7).

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity restoration:

  • Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
  • Restore native species

Main beneficiaries

  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
  • Taskforce groups

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

- Comune di Cagliari: Coordinated the project through its Servizio Parchi, Verde e Gestione faunistica. - MATE Studio: Provided architectural design, project management, structural engineering, thermotechnical systems, and environmental evaluation. -Other private actors collaborated with the municipality for landscape design and additional environmental assessments as well as offering expertise in infrastructure, network projects, electrical systems, and safety coordination. The project included a task force collaboration approach through which several experts (structural engineer, engineer specialized in hydraulic works, landscape architect, forestry doctor and a geologist) collaborated during the implementation stage. Co-funding was provided by the Italian government through Fondo per lo Sviluppo e la Coesione (FSC), a key financial instrument for implementing policies aimed at economic, social, and territorial cohesion in Italy. (Refs. 1, 2, 5 & 7)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Yes (The project is part of the Metropolitan City Development Pact: an agreement between the government, regions, and metropolitan cities aimed at promoting and ensuring investment in metropolitan areas and the South of Italy. It sets clear objectives and timelines for projects and enhances governance through collaborative efforts among the involved parties. It is coordinated by the Agency for Territorial Cohesion (Refs. 10 & 11).)
... a local policy or strategy? Unknown

Type of enablers

Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships), 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

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Water management and blue areas
  • Enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems
  • Expected enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Achieved increased green space area
  • Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
  • Achieved increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
  • Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
  • Achieved increased conversion of degraded land or soil
  • Increased number of species present
  • Achieved increased number of species present

Economic impacts

  • Stimulate development in deprived areas
  • Achieved stimulate development in deprived areas

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Achieved improved access to urban green space
  • Increased opportunities for social interaction
  • Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
  • Achieved protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure

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

Unknown

References

1.
Comune di Cagliari (2021). Parco degli anelli. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Cagliaripad (2019). A Cagliari nel quartiere Sant’Elia apre la Spiaggia verde, alternativa al Poetto. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
3.
OpenCoesione (2024). NUOVO PARCO URBANO DI SANT'ELIA: IL PARCO DEGLI ANELLI - II LOTTO. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Regione Sardegna (2023). Affidamento della progettazione esecutiva e dell’esecuzione dei lavori per la Realizzazione del nuovo Parco Urbano di Sant’Elia. Accessed on August 31, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Comune di Cagliari (2022). Progettazione del Nuovo Parco degli Anelli - II lotto. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Ministero per i beni e le attività Culturali (2019). Progetti edizione 2018/2019. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Green Planet News (2019). Spiaggia verde a Cagliari, alternativa al Poetto. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Sant'Elia (n.d.). Quartiere margine. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
9.
Rapeanu, P (2024). Cagliari, il parco degli Anelli regno dei vandali: gazebo distrutti e tappeti di rifiuti. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
10.
Comune di Cagliari (2016). PATTO PER LO SVILUPPO DELLA CITTA’ METROPOLITANA DI CAGLIAR. [Source link];
11.
Agenzia per la coesione territoriale (n.d.). I Patti per lo Sviluppo. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
12.
’Agenzia per la coesione territoriale (n.d.). Fondo Sviluppo e Coesione. Accessed on August 31, 2024, [Source link];
13.
Comune di Cagliari (2022). Atlante di Cagliari 2022. Accessed on August 31, 2024, [Source link];
14.
Google Reviews (n.d.). Google Reviews - Parco degli Anelli. Accessed on August 31, 2024, [Source link];
parco_degli_anelli
parco_degli_anelli
https://www.comune.cagliari.it/portale/page/it/parco_degli_anelli?contentId=GAL70246
parco_degli_anelli
parco_degli_anelli
https://www.comune.cagliari.it/portale/page/it/parco_degli_anelli?contentId=GAL70246
Photo of the park: green spaces, walking path and newly planted trees appear on the left.
Photo of the park: green spaces, walking path and newly planted trees appear on the left.
Comune di Cagliari. 2021. “Parco Degli Anelli.” Comune Di Cagliari. 2021. https://www.comune.cagliari.it/portale/page/it/parco_degli_anelli?contentId=GAL70246.
Photo of the park: green spaces, walking path and newly planted trees appear on the left.
Photo of the park: green spaces, walking path and newly planted trees appear on the left.
Comune di Cagliari. 2021. “Parco Degli Anelli.” Comune Di Cagliari. 2021. https://www.comune.cagliari.it/portale/page/it/parco_degli_anelli?contentId=GAL70246.
naturescapes bannerInformation about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.