“Two main spaces will be created: on the west side, there will be a greener and more structured portion, where seats, tables, games can be placed, and a clearer portion, intended for temporary setups for events and initiatives. On the east side, beyond the street, there will be space for parking, repaved and tree-lined”, writes the Municipality of Cuneo
Writes the Municipality of Cuneo.
“New, versatile, safe, green, welcoming, beautiful, functional: this is how Piazza Europa can be with a renewed design of the space at the intersection between the two central axes of the plateau so that it becomes an element of life for the city. It is a widely shared belief that the current layout of the Square no longer responds to the needs of a social life that has changed profoundly from the 1970s to today. It is today an under-used area precisely due to its shape, although in a strategic position. This is why we are working towards a new square that is more fully usable and enjoyable for different generations and for a variety of needs.
The project envisages that the entire surface, from portico to portico (approximately 14,500 m2), will be raised and renovated: this will produce a reduction in the speed of cars on the central axis, the possibility of using – for events and special events – all the grounds as a single large square. And, as already happened with the repaving in Via Roma, there will be a beautiful continuity between porticoes and grounds which will be more functional, because it has no architectural barriers.
Two main spaces will be created: on the west side, there will be a greener and more structured portion, where seats, tables, games can be placed, and a clearer portion, intended for temporary setups for events and initiatives. On the east side, beyond the course, there will be space for parking, repaved and tree-lined.
In addition to the surface intended for greenery, which remains unchanged in size, a new draining pavement will be created on a de-waterproofed base, with the benefit of restoring the natural functions of the soil in the long term and effectively bringing a part of the square to the consumption of zero soil, increasing the permeable surfaces of the square by 85%.
The greenery will be re-planted, both to the right and to the left of the central axis, with a significant increase: there will be 38 new trees in place of the 10 existing plants (+280% greenery), and the 260 m2 currently dedicated to greenery and shrubs will become 1,100 (+320%). There will therefore be more greenery, with deciduous trees that will guarantee more efficient photosynthetic activity compared to the current persistent-leaf conifers; they will guarantee shade in summer and let the sun penetrate in winter.
Turrets will be set up for the electricity supply with a retractable base, movable furniture will be placed, tables with seats, pergolas, benches and seats of various types and a level fountain. The cycle path will also be traced, east and west sides, along the road axis.
Alongside the intervention on Piazza Europa, the construction of a head car park is planned in the area adjacent to the Basse di Sant’Anna, which will be able to accommodate 600 cars and guarantee arrival in the city in 5 minutes. Head parking is also a shared need, requested several times and in multiple contexts. The design and construction of the intervention on Piazza Europa and the end car park will progress in parallel, according to the timetable dictated by the rules of the financing obtained.
Thanks to the availability of state funds obtained from the Municipality of Cuneo – funds tied to this project and not transferable to other interventions under penalty of losing the funding – it will be possible to generate a profound change in this portion of the city. The prospect is to bring about an effective change on an aesthetic and functional level, which could have positive repercussions for the social and commercial valorisation of a part of the city that many are calling for to be the subject of significant initiatives and interventions for its relaunch. Furthermore, the objective of the Council is to work to provide answers to the need for parking: even for those arriving from the southern part of the city, the PUMS offers possibilities that must be reviewed in light of new developments and in the perspective of dedicated funding. We want to think with foresight about a livable future city.”
