by Wainer Preda
A substantial document. About eighty pages, including photos. Elena Carnevalimayoral candidate for the centre-left, presented the electoral program of the coalition that supports her on the afternoon of May 14th.
The title is “You will see that Bergamo”. The program is «a harmonious synthesis between the different sensitivities and attentions that each one has brought» said Carnevali, supported by Paolo Aresi (for Bergamo Insieme), Dino Paoli (European Bergamo), Marcella Messina (Gori list), Alessandro De Bernardis (Pd), Marco Bonomi (Carnival List) e Giovanni Valagussa (Future).
A full-bodied program
«A serious, punctual, concrete, non-generic program, the result of study and in-depth analysis. Also the result of listening to the territory, the neighborhoods, the economic, social and training representatives, the many realities of the third sector, volunteering and associations in all its areas: culture, social, environment, sport”.
Fourteen chapters. «With realistic and precise objectives – says Carnevali -, with an attentive and proactive look towards the citizens who want a Bergamo where people live well: increasingly beautiful, safer, greener, more lively, more supportive, with efficient mobility» .
Safety is a priority
“Safety is a priority,” Carnevali said. The solution, according to the candidate, is rather a mix between control of the territory and care for fragilities and deviances. «We will introduce more local police officers on the streets, new foot patrols along the streets of the station and the center; we will triple the neighborhood mobile units and strengthen the Integrated Urban Security Unit; we will develop greater synergy with citizens and neighborhood groups; and we will extend the video surveillance system.”
«We want a model of city that puts people at the center. We want Bergamo to be a city where sustainability, growth and quality of life are accompanied by taking care of fragility, support for families, attractiveness for young people, and the ever-increasing involvement of those who still feel excluded from a good quality of life.”
A mega car park at the former Reggiani
On the mobility front, there is no war on cars, Carnevali specifies, but only the attempt to make circulation more usable. «Mobility will be an important part: the Bergamo we want has less traffic», he continues. And he is launching a mega car park with 1000 spaces at the former Reggiani which together with the others planned (see via Spino) will bring a total of five thousand parking spaces to the structure.
«In addition to working with the associations, we will support commerce and neighborhood shops – adds Carnevali – guaranteeing the Urban Commercial District stable financing and we will share the initiatives together, without forgetting the neighborhoods outside the Duc, creating agreements for customer parking , and guaranteeing the attractiveness of the spaces also through the redevelopment of street furniture”.
On the cultural front there is the objective of transforming the building in Piazza della Libertà into a “Palace of arts and cinema”. Also on the way are a “Neighborhood Festival” and the “Music Festival” which, as Bergamo Insieme proposes, have the aim of bringing events out of the “sanctuaries” and bringing them among the people.
