“The protection of our historic center, a UNESCO heritage site, starting from quality trade, must be a priority for this administration”, with these words, Fabio Pacciani, president of the Civic Area association and city councilor, announces the motion presented today, Friday 14 June, on the occasion of the city council meeting.
“With this motion – continues Pacciani – we wanted to commit the mayor of Siena to establishing an open and permanent table with all the citizens involved, so that the many critical issues can be analyzed and measures shared to encourage and enhance quality commercial activities, useful to characterize the identity and artistic-cultural value of the city, but also to counteract the constant and sad abandonment of the premises.
This document – comments Fabio Pacciani – does not want to put anyone under judgment, but starts from the intention of framing some aspects that have had a negative impact for a long time on city commerce and therefore on the entire city. It wants to give ideas for carrying out concrete planning regarding commerce, especially neighborhood commerce, and the related protection of the historic center. We know this problem doesn’t arise now, but now is the time to quickly take control of the situation. In recent years, Siena has been experiencing a constant emptying of premises in the historic centre, starting from the family-run ones most affected by the phenomenon of high rents, to the detriment of new commercial activities, often temporary, of poor quality and also of mysterious capital. Just take a tour of the historic ‘Y’ to see a substantial impoverishment of the shops, whose commercial typology in several cases is no longer up to the beauty of Siena.
Our motion – continues the municipal councilor Fabio Pacciani – wants to place this complex problem at the center of the city’s political agenda and asks for an active commitment on the part of the Municipality of Siena to involve all interested parties, from trade associations to Sienese traders, passing from the owners of the properties to the local civic associations, such as Area Civica, which have actively dealt with it over time. We need to adopt protection and protection measures for our city. Study a shared project to promote it as best as possible. Quality trade is a fundamental asset for the economy of our territory, largely made up of tourism, and is equally fundamental for the good quality of life, sociability, decorum and attractiveness of the city as a whole.
We do not understand at all – concludes Pacciani – the lack of collaboration on the part of the majority to resolve such a thorny and complex problem which, due to its nature, obviously cannot be addressed by the Mayor and Council alone, but requires skills and involvement. Opportunity lost, incomprehensibly, perhaps due to partisan games that are not at all good for the city as the history of recent years unfortunately clearly demonstrates. The facts are clear.”
