EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Environmental regeneration and improvement of living standards

Environmental regeneration and improvement of living standards – Campobasso, IT.

Introduction

The Urban Italia Campobasso Programme is addressed to a large part of the territory of Campobasso between the historical city centre and its neighbourhood. Its primary aim is to stimulate the socio-economic regeneration and the improvement of living standards of the target area through the environmental and infrastructural regeneration of deprived areas.

Problem

Campobasso, capital of the Molise region, has experienced a great urban expansion during the 1960s and 1970s. The separation of the Molise and the Abruzzo regions, emphasised the role of Campobasso as the main bureaucratic-administrative centre of the region. The area is affected by problems connected to recent urban growth that produced many social challenges, urban blight, social degradation and abandoning of public spaces. The Urban Italia Campobasso Programme aims at implementing a strategy able to face the following issues:

the increasing unemployment
the decrease of population growth
the negative migratory balance
the reduction of productive activities
problems related to crime and urban safety.

Description

The strategic objective of the Urban Italia Campobasso Programme is the re-urbanisation of urban spaces within the town and its surrounding areas. The social cohesion promoted in the target area is a result of the Campobasso regeneration stimulated by the Urban Italia Programme. The Programme integrated approach is considered a key instrument to face social issues such as unemployment, organized crime, exclusion of ethnic minorities, increasing number of elderly people and the urban blight affecting the town. An important strategic instrument to promote the Urban Italia Campobasso Programme actions is the development of advanced technologies and web-based systems.

Approach

The Urban Italia Campobasso Programme strategy is based on the idea that social cohesion can be reached starting from urban renewal. Thereby, the Urban Italia Campobasso Programme aims at encouraging processes of urban regeneration to stimulate citizens’ participation. Within this context the physical renewal of squares and buildings, the regeneration of relevant infrastructure and the enhancement of social and economic services provided to citizens become core objectives of the Urban Italia Campobasso Programme. They are strengthened by the implementation of information tools which stimulate integrated services.

Results

The results reached are:

the enhancement of public services supplied to citizens in several suburbs
measures of crime prevention to support citizens and strengthen their safety
services centres for enterprises to promote training and equal opportunities
a system of data transmission (called “data transmission squares”) has been implemented in strategic areas of the town
the Manforte Castle has been renewed. This action contributed to enhance the cultural patrimony of Campobasso
construction of transport connections between the town and its suburbs.

Beneficiaries

The direct beneficiary of the Urban Italia Campobasso Programme is the City of Campobasso. The main indirect beneficiares are the disadvantaged and weakest people living in the suburbs of the town (elderly, unemployed, immigrants). All the inhabitants of the area will benefit from environmental improvements and social integration stimulated by the Programme.

Resources used

The total amount of the intervention is 11 million euros. The national public participation (Law 388/2002) is 10 million euros of which 5 million euros are national funds. The rest is not equally split between the region, the City and private investors.

Contact info

Municipality of Campobasso
Ms. Giuliana Carano (Responsible for the Procedure)

Project start date

17/07/2001

Links

Ministry for Infrastructure (in Italian)City of Campobasso (in Italian)Province of Campobasso (in Italian)

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy > Urban environment > Urban renewal

Keywords

Urban restructuring

Institutional characteristics
National Government