THERE IS REGIONAL FUNDING FOR THE ‘SMART’ PARK. NEW ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT APPROVED. THE GREEN LUNG IN THE EAST QUADRANT OF FERRARA WILL HOST ALMOST 3,500 PLANTS IN 5 AND A HALF HECTARES. CONTROL UNITS TO MONITOR AIR QUALITY

Ferrara, 19 April – The project was approved by the Council, with acknowledgment of the financing of more than 1.3 million euros (regional and municipal funds). ‘Central Bosc – The great green horizon in the eastern quadrant of Ferrara’, as part of the tender for the design and construction of green and blue infrastructures in urban areas and in areas near the centre. At the initiative of the Environment Department, the new green lung will host around 3,500 plants and shrubs and will take shape in the eastern quadrant of the city, next to Via Caldirolo. Furthermore, a cycle path will be created that will connect Via Frutteti to Piazzale San Giovanni, thus responding to the needs of a neighborhood previously disconnected from the centre.

Combining urban planning, sustainability and nature, the new 55,000 square meter park (5 and a half hectares) will be in close connection with the existing geological rebalancing area and the urban gardens: it will become an oasis of tranquility for the local fauna and a corridor green for citizens, as well as being a “blue infrastructure” to intercept rain and reduce the risk of flooding in the neighborhood.

Accessible and semi-permeable cycle-pedestrian paths for the collection of rainwater will connect the green area to the linear park of the historic walls: the new cycle path will offer a new and important connection point of an area just outside the walls and the city center. The different areas of the park are designed for maximum inclusiveness and will offer spaces for relaxation, entertainment and nature exploration.

Dense forestation and the protection of native fauna are combined with NBS (Nature-Based Solutions) solutions such as rain gardens and a new pond of approximately 500 square meters aimed at safeguarding the numerous species of wild microfauna: this will also contribute to improving the air quality, mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce pollution, with the planting of 1,580 trees and 2,700 shrubs. This forestry plant will further enrich the number of trees present in the city from 2019 to today, which already exceeds 15 thousand new plants.

The largest part of the area will be used as a park and intended for public use, with

the installation of outdoor play and physical activity equipment, together with tables and benches for users’ entertainment, a fruit growing system and a shared vegetable garden.

The park will not only be green, but also “smart”, intelligent: the green and blue infrastructure will be combined with the digital infrastructure, creating an environment in which environmental data will be collected and shared with the community, citizens, scholars and with the relevant bodies. Specifically, 6 Tree-Talker control units will be installed – to measure plant parameters and a series of environmental and microclimatic elements. such as air temperature and humidity -, 2 low-cost Estima RMAP control units and 1 Lab Service Analytica control unit, to detect fine dust and other useful parameters for monitoring air quality.

The total value of the project amounts to 1,383,726.52 euros. 70%, or 1,176,167.54 euros, coming from the European Regional Development Fund, to which is added the co-financing of the Municipality of Ferrara amounting to 207,558.98 euros.
(Ferrara is reborn)

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