It took place yesterday, in the Hypostyle Hall of Castello Maniace a Syracusethe presentation of project “Suburbs in… Centre!” of the Government’s Extraordinary Commissioner for the Redevelopment of Slums in the City of Messinain the context of “City on stage – Festival of urban regeneration”promoted by ANCE (National Association of Building Contractors), together with the Mecenate 90 Association, the Association of Cities of Art and Culture (CIDAC) and the Musica per Roma Foundation.
The Sub-Commissioner Marcello Scurria introduced the project ‘Suburbs in… Center!’ which represents a paradigm shift in urban regeneration. “The key to everything is urban regeneration for Messina and we can export our model. We have eighty slums, many of which have already been demolished, many others that need to be demolished. We in Messina can experiment with open-air urban regeneration, we are a unique case in the Western world”Scurria said.
The project
The project focuses on an intervention area of 650,000 m2, with 80 slums and approximately 1,800 families involved. Particular attention is paid to the 198 disabled people present among the inhabitants. The main objective is to transform the degraded suburbs of Messina into vital central areas, through an urban regeneration process that includes environmental remediation, the reactivation of public spaces and zero land consumption.
The words of the architect Marullo
L’Architect Grazia Maria MarulloCoordinator of the Technical Sector of the Commissioner’s Structure, illustrated the technical aspects of the project: “Our work is not limited to building redevelopment. We presented our approaches and the actions that the commissioner’s structure for the rehabilitation of Messina’s slums is undertaking. We are implementing an integrated approach that considers environmental remediation, the reactivation of public spaces and zero land consumption. Magnolia Park is a perfect example of how an urban area can be transformed into a vibrant and welcoming place, respecting historical integrity and improving the quality of life for residents.”
Marullo also underlined: “Urban regeneration approaches aim to improve the quality of life in economic, social, environmental and health terms. For example, zero land consumption is achieved through the purchase of housing in the free market, while the regeneration of brownfield voids and their transformation into greenfields represents a fundamental step. The voids that are created after demolitions are the subject of redevelopment projects that are starting. We aim for a sustainable city in environmental, economic and social terms.”
The intervention of the Architect Tornatore
The project involves reclamation operations that address the critical issues related to the disposal of construction waste, which are often dangerous and expensive to manage. “We have adopted circular economy principles to reduce construction and demolition waste, creating durable and flexible buildings,” explained theArchitect Mariano TornatoreConsultant to the Commissioner’s Structure. “We must work not only on houses, but also on human material that awaits secular redemption. The recovery interventions of the buildings or, better, the clearing of the areas and the liberation of the shacks are not only opportunities for redevelopment, but also for urban regeneration”.
Tornatore added: “Our challenge is to build around an idea, imagining spaces on a human scale, promoting social integration and environmental sustainability. We are trying every day to intervene so that the social, urban and housing quality of families improves after our interventions. This requires imagination, discussion and continuous discussion with the families involved.”
The words of Ledo Prato
Ledo PratoGeneral Secretary of the Mecenate 90 Association, on the urban regeneration project of Messina presented by the Extraordinary Commissioner of the Government for the Redevelopment of the Slums of the City of Messina declared: “I believe that this project can be considered an important problematic example that we will present at the national festival in Rome and that it can best represent Italy in diplomatic offices around the world”.
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