We receive and publish part of the electoral program of the left-wing mayoral candidate Graziano Rinaldini. The entire program can be downloaded in the link you will find at the bottom of the article.
«Forlì must rediscover its potential, embracing a positive vision of the future and transforming dreams into concrete projects. The current administration has confined the city to asphyxiated isolation, a profound social, cultural and economic renewal is now needed. We must actively involve citizens and associations in building the city’s future, overcoming economic, social, environmental and health difficulties. We propose a democratic and participatory approach, with a transition from a government model to territorial governance, also supported by digital transformation. We invite every citizen to actively contribute to the creation of a better future for Forlì, facing challenges together and promoting shared well-being.
The flood of May 2023, caused by the climate crisis, has hit Forlì hard, leaving neighborhoods in difficulty and citizens still in the clutches of hardship and fear. Solidarity must translate into tangible actions. An adaptation plan to climate change, including new protective infrastructure, is urgently needed. Civil protection plans require a thorough review and greater financial support. The Municipality must vigorously defend the rights of victims before the institutions, resolving gaps in the ordinances. Detailed damage mapping is essential for intervention planning. The reconstruction must aim at a transformation of the areas involved, avoiding depopulation and degradation. It is necessary to modernize the sewage system to withstand extreme climate events. We propose a reconstruction department and a permanent table for monitoring actions and involving interested parties.
We have to face the climate crisis over the next five years at all levels, from Europe to municipal level. We underline the importance of recognizing the climate emergency and following scientific guidance for an effective ecological transition. In Forlì, we propose a series of objectives to achieve a true ecological transition, including reducing consumption and emissions, promoting clean energy and stopping the overbuilding of the soil. We highlight the importance of actively involving the local community and implementing innovative urban policies to achieve greater energy and housing sustainability. It also aims to improve waste management, reducing overall production and promoting recycling, with the aim of reducing the use of incinerators and eliminating the importation of waste from abroad.
We highlight the importance of adapt services to the new needs of citizens, involving local authorities, healthcare companies, associations and other entities. We underline the need to consider the profound social, demographic and cultural changes that have occurred in recent years to guide appropriate choices.
In the healthcare sector, we reiterate the importance of Public and universalistic National Health System, we highlight the need to strengthen the emergency room, local assistance and the prevention of mental health disorders. We also propose to strengthen the Telemedicine and Tele-aid service, as well as guarantee better working conditions for doctors and nurses.
As regards the topic of housing in Forlì, we highlight a growing housing emergency. We propose solutions such as social housing and supportive living to meet the needs of different segments of the population, including elderly people, students and families. We suggest encouraging the availability of private accommodation at controlled rents and exploiting unused building stock.
We underline the importance of promotingsocial inclusion and to activate measures to support people with fragility, elderly people and people with disabilities.
We must address the need for a change in mobility urban of Forlì, proposing solutions to reduce the use of the car and promoting more sustainable means of transport. We suggest the creation of parking lots on the edge of the centre, connected with local public transport, bike sharing and charging stations for electric vehicles. We consider the defense of the most vulnerable users, such as children, pedestrians and cyclists, a priority, and we propose a hierarchy of streets that favors spaces with calm traffic and safe zones around schools.
Forlì has a long history of educational policies focused on dialogue between children, families and administration. We will adopt the perspective of the “educating community”, involving families, schools and public and private entities. Priorities include the expansion of nursery places, coworking with nurseries, consolidation of municipal schools.
The security has become a priority for the city of Forlì, requiring a decisive commitment from the local administration. The aim is to strengthen law enforcement through the establishment of neighborhood officers, increase video surveillance in public parks and support street social workers.
There social cohesion it is essential to improve the usability of public spaces and guarantee decorum and safety. Various measures are proposed to encourage the inclusion of marginalized communities, including increasing staff at the Integration Service Center, collaboration with the University of Bologna for the translation of documents and language training, and the establishment of Italian courses for foreign mothers. We hope for the granting of honorary citizenship to foreign minors born in Italy to legally resident parents or who have completed a course of studies in the country.
It is essential to position the sport to the city center to promote the physical and emotional well-being of individuals. We propose to encourage various physical activities suitable for different age groups and skill levels, providing adequate spaces both outdoors and indoors. It is crucial to invest in the maintenance and construction of new sports facilities, avoiding concentrating funding on just a few prestigious facilities.
We propose to redefine the system of cultural services with an approach of expansion, sustainability and efficiency, including the restoration of buildings and the valorisation of existing heritage. We will carry out a mapping of cultural buildings and an adequate personnel policy. We will start a reflection on the contemporary and enhance public spaces for artistic expression.
Forlì, located in an area that attracts both maritime and inland tourist flows, must aim to share strategic objectives with the territory for the development of thelocal tourist offer. We will organize conference events and design travel packages based on thematic itineraries such as art, food and wine, sport and religious tourism, differentiated by age group and origin.
In Forlì, we propose the transformation of the delegation to equal opportunities into a delegation to Equalof Gender and Protection of Differences, led by the Mayor and involving all sectors of the organisation. We hope for the creation of a Plan for Equality, divided into six areas of intervention, which include training and work, inclusive urban transformations and the fight against gender violence.
Future administrations must educate citizens about the benefits of European citizenship and promote international cooperation, including culture for peace and human rights. It is essential to restore a Department of Peace and Human Rights and support existing organizations to spread nonviolence and international cooperation.
The youth policies require active participation of young people themselves to understand and meet their needs. Our proposals include the restoration of a specific Department for youth policies, with a focus on youth art and the creation of cultural networks. It is necessary to address the lack of adequate spaces by offering multifunctional places that can be booked digitally and regulating their free use.
We promote the citizen participation to political and administrative decisions as a fundamental element of our proposal. We intend to activate dynamics of active citizenship through proximity policies and tools for direct citizen involvement in defining choices. We propose the valorisation of the participatory budget tool and the creation of neighborhood hubs as centers of sociality and integration but also as branch offices of some municipal services, to bring the institution closer to citizens.
Forlì has abandoned the role of capital and left the Union of Municipalities of Romagna Forlivese, putting small municipalities in difficulty and isolating itself at a regional level. To revive the city, municipal governance must change, taking a leading role in strategic planning and programming and offering its resources and expertise to surrounding municipalities, promoting solidarity and coordinating projects at national and European level.
It is crucial to overcome municipal sovereignism and return Forlì to the point of reference and coordination of the territory. We will put in place greater commitment in social and healthcare conferences and guidance in the management of investee companies. Forlì should also contribute to the idea of a more cohesive Romagna perspective, through institutional formulas such as the single province or a polycentric metropolitan city.
Forlì needs a fort digital development to bridge the gap with other municipalities in Emilia-Romagna. The transformation into a smart city, based on the adoption of innovative technologies and a systemic vision of the territory, is crucial. This approach favors collaborative policies between public and private sectors for more efficient and economical services. Examples include smart street lamps, monitored public transport, water networks and flood sensors. We also consider digital training essential for administrative staff and citizens, especially the elderly.
The Old Town of Forlì has lost its economic, cultural and social vitality, requiring renewed planning and collective involvement. The next Administration must focus on the relaunch of the centre, involving residents, traders, associations and institutions. Urban redevelopment is crucial, with the identification of unused buildings to initiate publicly and privately incentivized recovery plans. Coordinated commercial collaboration and the establishment of a consortium can promote a diversified and quality offer. The empty spaces must be allocated to start-ups, associations and artisans, with tax incentives.
Continuous and widespread cultural programming is preferable to expensive spot events. Participatory governance and a long-term vision are essential to bring the historic center of Forlì back to being the heart and visiting card of the city.”
The complete program can be downloaded on the site www.grazianorinaldini.it.
