Green on a human scale, the cities of the Marche change face with the 28 million EU-branded ones

ANCONA Greener, redeveloped and human-scale cities. The Marche region is changing its face with European Union funds for the sustainable development of urban areas. Last Monday, the Region approved the agreement with the five capital municipalities, leaders of the interventions, putting 28 million euros of the 2021/2027 EU programming on the table (25 million guaranteed by the ERDF and 3 by the ESF+ funds). A treasure aimed, among other things, at «initiating green and blue processes by contributing to increasing the quality of life in the areas subject to urban recovery», at «protecting and enhancing cultural and natural attractors in an integrated way, enhancing the tourist capacity of the cities of the Marche region » and to «enhance culture and tourism for social inclusion and innovation

Geography of interventions

In recent months, each capital has presented its own project (each financed with 5.6 million euros) which also involves surrounding and intermediate cities within a connected urbanized area. The “H2O: unifying element” project from Ascoli Piceno earned the highest score; the lowest occurred in Pesaro and its “Iti Pesaro-Fano”. Going into the details of the interventions, the regional capital Ancona has chosen to bet its chips on the pearl of the Conero, also involving the other municipalities of the coast (Numana, Sirolo and Camerano). In concrete terms, the Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) strategy involves the recovery and redevelopment of the former summer colony of the Mutilatini as an accommodation facility for sustainable tourism, the creation of a pedestrian path for descent and for inclusive accessibility to the bay, and the strengthening and development of the “Conero” tourism brand. Pesaro and Fano, however, identify the valorization of cultural environmental resources as the main driver of change, with integrated actions that hinge on the refunctionalization of Palazzo Ricci in Pesaro and the S. Arcangelo complex in Fano. The creation of a Sonosphere, an amphitheater for deep listening to ecosystems and music located in Palazzo Mosca, is also financed. Then there is the “Social Valley” project in Macerata, which placed second in the ranking: the administration’s choice fell on Villa Potenza which encompasses a large catchment area and also serves many neighboring municipalities.

The new course

The intervention concerns an overall redevelopment which involves, in addition to the capital, also Montecassiano, Recanati, Porto Recanati and Potenza Picena. A little further south, here is the “Soft-blue Fermano” which, among other things, involves the redevelopment of Girfalco, the completion of the cycle path on the Ete Vivo and the renaturalization of the Marina Palmense area. The new course in Ascoli, the one that defeated the proposals of the other capitals, focuses instead on the redevelopment of the green and blue infrastructures (also including the river banks), the restyling of gardens, parks and botanical gardens, and the adaptation of spaces and places public with objectives of social inclusion and promotion, tourism and sustainable mobility. Macro interventions that also involve the partner municipalities of Castel di Lama, Colli del Tronto, Cupra Marittima, Folignano, Grottammare, Monsampolo, Monteprandone, San Benedetto del Tronto and Spinetoli. Lifeblood for administrations always on the hunt for funds. And thanks to EU programming, the new deal for our cities can now begin.

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