From today Sardinia Post begins to host a series of interventions on the “Cagliari of the future”: intellectuals, artists, men and women of culture and science with their proposals and suggestions to the new council led by Massimo Zedda.
by Monica Scanu *
On the topic “Cagliari, today” much has been written and discussed, in print, on social media, online. The city is beautiful, bathed in its distinctive white light, the sea within sight almost wherever you are, with its dazzling historic centre, waterfront accommodation, jacarande flowered. In general, the comments of visitors and tourists are positive, very positive, and we often hear, regardless of the place that Cagliari occupies in the rankings that periodically appear in well-known national newspapers, that it is a city where it is worth coming to live. And, in recent years, many have made this choice.
These are the generalized comments of those who come to the city for holidays, for short periods of work, or to visit relatives and friends. Then there are the comments of those who were born in the city and live there, those who go to work every morning, those who accompany their children to school, those who access services, those who use public transport, from which it is clear that the love for city does not disappear, ever, but that the daily critical issues and difficulties have increased over the years. From last Monday, however, a new perspective could open up for the city, with the passage from Paolo Truzzu to Massimo Zedda in the role of mayor of the city.
In addition to all the priority needs that must be taken up one by one by the new administration, such as assistance to people in difficulty and the most vulnerable categories, there are other aspects of city life that must be close to our hearts. For example, architecture, environment, culture.
What should we hope for and ask for? On architecture and urban planning, first of all to accelerate the closure of construction sites, especially those that concern not only the citizens but directly the decorum of the city: via Roma on the portico side, first and foremost, and then the bastion of Saint Remy, plundered of all the travertine seats along its perimeter, with the infinite construction site of the bastion Saint Catherine; then there are the construction sites that involve other crucial points for traffic in the city, such as, for example, again via Roma, on the sea side.
Another hope is that solutions can be facilitated, within the scope of municipal competence, for the “unfinished” towns: the Roman amphitheatre, still in a state of semi-abandonment and only visitable in a very small portion, the former Marino al Poetto hospital, the former Mediterranean hotel. It would be nice if, in light of the fact that there are excellent professionals in Cagliari, for direct assignments on projects involving strategic places in the city, reference would be made to them, or the more democratic tool of the design competition would be used.
And about the environment? Environmental policies respectful of public and contemporary green areas, in collaboration with research centers and local startups, greater attention towards existing trees, identifying for them from time to time the most suitable and sustainable maintenance methods (which rarely coincide with pruning radicals), as well as for the essences to be planted, to be chosen from those most suitable for the places and climate; greater attention to water consumption; use of photovoltaics in public offices, kindergartens and primary schools, markets; greater space for the wonderful jacarandas that characterize the city and in particular for those that grow along the sides of Largo Carlo Felice: more space for majestic trees, larger sidewalks and fewer parked cars (it would be wonderful to make the stretch of Largo Carlo Felice pedestrianized which goes from via Francesco Crispi to via Domenico Azuni). Fewer cars in the historic centre, with interchange car parks and shuttles (perhaps free for the elderly, disabled and families with children) and further strengthening of public transport accompanied by “education” in the use of public transport. Finally, culture: designing and creating original and high-level exhibitions without necessarily resorting to purchasing pre-packaged packages, restoring important public cultural spaces such as the civic theater in Via Università, giving space to local associations and organizations for events and concerts .
For all these aspects, the watchword must be, in my opinion, care. Taking care of the environment, architecture, culture, in the city and for the city, so that Cagliari becomes increasingly liveable and welcoming for people citizens, travellers, tourists. This is what I feel like saying, “off the bat” and as the technician that I am, to the mayor and his council.
* President of Fai Sardinia
: “The city of jacarandas, more space for greenery and architecture”){kind=link}