In Matera the community united in defense of Piazza degli Olmi
An episode of vandalism mobilized the Uisp and other city entities in defense of the recently redeveloped common space. M. Di Gioia speaks
An episode of vandalism has become an opportunity for reflection and discussion in Matera where, in recent days, someone removed the baskets from the pitch in Piazza degli olmi, a space redeveloped and set up thanks to the commitment of Uisp Matera and other local entities. “Someone took advantage of the night hours to detach the baskets from their structures, we don’t know if it was simply an act of vandalism or a form of intimidation towards the initiatives carried out in that space”, Michele Di Gioia, president of Uisp Basilicatareconstructs the events of the last few days.
“It was the inhabitants of Piazza degli Olmi who reported the incident to us and we proceeded to inform the municipal administration and the local police who immediately carried out an inspection. For a long time now the territorial Uisp is present and engaged in that space with various projects, from Civic Sport to Placemaking and sport, and we often organize activities in the square with gatherings dedicated to sport and civic and social participation. Aware of the gravity of the gesture and the importance of this space, we launched an appeal to associations and citizens to organize a flash mob on Saturday. We’ve had a great response and already on Saturday we managed to recover new baskets and restore one, while the other will have to be adapted to the structure and will be ready in a couple of days. At the moment the pitch is therefore only half usable.”
The Piazza degli Olmi field was redeveloped in 2018 by a local association and then in 2019 the Uisp took charge of it in an urban regeneration process linked to Matera 2019 Capital of Culture. Thus the field and the square had become sites of an urban art installation, a unique place within a neighborhood that needed to be revitalized. “Once the space was set up, we started a process aimed at drafting the regulations for using the field, to be created jointly with the condominiums overlooking the square. Unfortunately, the arrival of Covid and the consequent closures and limitations have blocked this path that began in January 2020. This bad episode has pushed us to reflect on the fact that that path linked to common goods, collaboration agreements and shared administration must reconstructed, keeping together the right to play and the regulation of a shared space”.
Michele Di Gioia’s idea is that, starting from a gesture that must be stigmatized, and for which those responsible must be identified, a sharing effort involving people, associations and institutions should start again with renewed enthusiasm. “The act of vandalism generated a lot of outcry in the community and rekindled the civil commitment of many who responded to our appealdemonstrating solidarity, civic commitment and the desire to make ourselves available – continues Di Gioia – is a signal that encourages us to continue, with the awareness that critical issues exist and that it is essential to create a community to arrive at shared solutions as much as possible. Actions must be the result of common reflection and sport can help open this dialogue, to mediate and give added value to the reference community. The inhabitants of Piazza degli Olmi must not think that the pitch is a problem, but experience it as an opportunity to be managed together. We were the first to become more aware of the fact that the path must be extended to all those who want to be part of it. We will make sure that this bad gesture does not represent a stop to our growth path but an opportunity for renewed dialogue with the administration and citizens to address the issues on which there are still disagreements and study the corrective measures together”.
In the next few days, the municipal administration of Matera will make public an expression of interest for the management of the city’s outdoor spaces. Uisp’s hope is that it will be an opportunity to enhance sharing between associations, schools and citizens, through the assumption of responsibility for regulated and shared use. “It would be nice if the tender includes rewards for those who propose network solutions – concludes Michele Di Gioia – to perhaps give life to a community educational pact that regulates the use and maintenance of the spaces with a shared document. The Uisp could be a facilitator of this path, consistently with the inclusion of sport in the Constitution for its social function and with the new co-programming and co-planning approaches promoted by the third sector reform”. (Elena Fiorani)
published on: 06/17/2024 | viewed 33 times
