Investments in urban regeneration projects aimed at reducing social exclusion and degradation: redevelopment works on the area adjacent to the War Memorial and Piazza Dia

Investments in projects of urban regeneration, aimed at reducing situations of marginalization and social degradation (Mission 5 – Component 2, Investment 4)

Italy’s Recovery and Resilience Plan provides for investments in urban regeneration, to reduce marginalization and social degradation as well as to improve the social and environmental context of urban centres. The measure aims at supporting the reuse and re-functionalization of public areas and existing public building structures for purposes of public interest, and at improving the urban landscape through renovation of public buildings, with particular attention to the development of social, cultural, educational and didactic services, including sporting activities.

The investment is financed by Italy’s Recovery and Resilience plan by EUR 2 billion.

As part of this investment, the project concept, developed in accordance with the Design Guidance Document (DIP) and based on a detailed survey of the current state and historical evolution of the square, aims to reorganize and redevelop the area’s road network and the square itself. The intervention seeks to restore the square as a fitting setting for the existing “War Memorial” and to transform it into a central space that connects, rather than separates, surrounding areas of social interaction—making it a true gathering place while improving urban decorum.

The project’s key goals include:
- Enhancing the usability and livability of the public green space;
- Promoting open-space solutions by removing access barriers to ensure seamless connection with the surrounding context;
- Ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for all users, without segregating areas for people with reduced mobility;
- Improving the perceived safety of public spaces by eliminating underused or unsafe areas and reclaiming them for social activities;
- Renovating and repurposing the square to meet contemporary needs, expanding collective-use areas for all age groups;
- Providing new user services and amenities;
- Renewing existing trees and removing hazardous vegetation;
- Integrating parking and rest areas to attract a broader range of users, including non-residents;
- Securing and upgrading public utility systems.

The overall objective is to make the city and its built environment more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, strengthening participatory urban planning and management in line with the broader framework of the updated General Urban Plan and the “smart city and technology” development model. This project is financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility with EUR 782.340,00