1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Catania
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Piazza Montessori Catania
Short description of the intervention
The intervention to regenerate 5 squares in the city of Catania is a result of an announcement published by the EU, where European cities had the chance to present projects to get funds. Catania municipality was chosen for the importance of the areas from a historical and cultural perspective, and for the aim to insert green areas and vegetation both inside and outside the historical buildings. The square will see a new green area, in a process of linkage of nature and architecture. The whole area will be filled with some Mediterranean plants and trees (Ref.1.)
Address

Piazza Maria Montessori
95124 Catania
Italy

Location
Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Residential
Cultural Heritage Area
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2006
End date of the intervention
unknown
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Goals of the intervention
The goal of the intervention is to regenerate and promote an important area of the city, both for economic and cultural reasons. The presence of green areas in the square helps to improve the sight of it and to attract more visitors. The well-being of residents was increasing after the intervention because of the presence of a new green area (Ref.2.)
Quantitative targets
Unknown
Monitoring indicators defined
Unknown
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
Tourism support
Implementation activities
In order to reach the goals, green areas were settled in the center and on the side of the square, together with the trees which were provided by the city itself. In addition, benches and lighting zones were provided to make the square more liveable. (Ref.2.)
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Grey infrastructure featuring greens
Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
Parks and urban forests
Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Vegetation Type
Shrubs
Trees
Flower beds
Other
Please specify how many trees were planted
Unknown
Amenities offered by the NBS
Benches and drinking water stations
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Cultural services
Tourism
Aesthetic appreciation
Recreation
Mental and physical health and wellbeing
Social and community interactions
Scale
Spatial scale
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Local government/Municipality
Citizens or community groups
Governance
Governance arrangements
Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
The intervention is implemented by the municipality of Catania, which responded to an announcement of the EU which was offering funds for projects of regeneration of public squares. The company who won the project (Zeroarchitetti) designed the new sqaure with all the indications to realize the project. (Ref.1&3)
Key actors - initiating organization
Local government/municipality
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
EU body
Local government/municipality
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Co-management/Joint management
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
Yes
Please specify the "Regional Directive/Strategy"
The intervention was carried out by the city of Catania in response to the annoucement of the EU "CONCORSO EUROPEO DI IDEE E DI PROGETTAZIONE IN DUE FASI - PIAZZE BOTANICHE" (European contest of ideas and project for botanical squares. (Ref.1.) The contest is a result of the European Commission strategy plan named “Green and Blue Space Adaptation for Urban Areas and Eco Towns” (GRaBS) project, supported by Cohesion Policy funds, promotes urban planning efforts aimed at preserving and adapting open spaces to improve quality of life (Ref.5.)
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
At local level the city of Catania has implemented the "ZONA OMOGENEA "A" INDIVIDUAZIONE TIPOLOGIE EDILIZIE STUDIO DI DETTAGLIO" (Homogeneous zone "A" - study and intervention on public edifices) according to the regional law July 10th 2015 n.13., which establishes the criteria of intervention for public spaces (Ref.4.)
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Please specify other type of voluntary intervention
The intervention was implemented in response to a EU announcement, but no specific guidance or scheme
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Please specify other vegetation type
The following vegetation type was planted: shrub, trees, intensely coloured flowers and ever-smaller dimensions, flowering plants, organized in small, very low grass carpets, consisting of very short cycle elements (ephemerophytes), in addition to the strawberry trees (Arbutus unedo), the lentisks (Pistacia lentisk) myrtle (Mirtus trentina), Lilium (Lilium candidum) and iris (Iris germanica), woody, shrubby and arboreal plants, including Genista aetnensis ("Ginestra dell'Etna") and, again, the agave (Agave americana), prickly pears (Opuntiam ficum indicam) (Ref.1)
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The University of Palermo was leading a research project on the European contest for botanical squares (Ref.3.)
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The intervention was carried out by the city of Catania in response to the annoucement of the EU "CONCORSO EUROPEO DI IDEE E DI PROGETTAZIONE IN DUE FASI - PIAZZE BOTANICHE" (European contest of ideas and project for botanical squares) which provided funds for the winners of the contest (Ref.1.)
Co-finance for NBS
Unknown
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
€500,000 - €2,000,000
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
1.050.000,00 euro (ref.1)
Source(s) of funding
EU funds
Type of fund(s) used
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Business models
Green densification model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Type of innovation
Social
Cultural innovation
Please specify social innovation
The innovation can be considered as a cultural one, as the square represents and historical spot of cultural value for the city. The intervention contributes to innovate the square with green areas which provide additonal services (Ref.2.)
Novelty level of the innovation
Ambiguous (e.g. multiple interpretations)
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
Being an initiative from the EU, they provided some examples from models to inspire the interventions, but in the project it is not mentioned specific reference to those projects (Ref.2.)
Replicability/Transferability
The innovation is not referred to as being transferred to new initiative(s)
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Unknown
Description of environmental benefits
Unknown
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Unknown
Description of social and cultural benefits
Unknown
Type of reported impacts
No impacts reported
Indicators
Unknown
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
Improved access to green and/or blue spaces
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of July 2020.
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
No evidence in public records
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Unknown
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Ref.1. PIAZZA MONTESSORI CATANIA
Ref.2. «5 piazze per Catania»: i vincitori
Ref.3. Concorso di idee di progettazione" Piazze botaniche-Recupero di 5 piazze…
Ref.5. Making our cities attractive and sustainable
Documents relevant to the intervention
Attachment Size
Ref.4. Catania plan for urban decorum and management of the public space (776.74 KB) 776.74 KB
List of references
Ref.1. Nextarchitetti (2006). PIAZZA MONTESSORI CATANIA. Available at http://nextarchitetti.it/?p=292 (Accessed 20-6-2020)
Ref.2. Archiportale (2006). «5 piazze per Catania»: i vincitori. Available at https://www.archiportale.com/news/2006/12/risultati/5-piazze-per-catania-i-vincitori_9032_37.html (Accessed 20-6-2020)
Ref.3. University of Palermo (2006). Concorso di idee di progettazione" Piazze botaniche-Recupero di 5 piazze cittadine". (Website not available in 2020)
Ref.4. Comune di Catania (2015), ASSESSORATO URBANISTICA E DECORO URBANO DIREZIONE URBANISTICA E GESTIONE DEL TERRITTORIO
SERVIZIO P.R.G. PIANIFICAZIONE URBANISTICA PROGETTI SPECIALI (2015). ZONA OMOGENEA "A" INDIVIDUAZIONE TIPOLOGIE EDILIZIE STUDIO DI DETTAGLIO Legge regionale 10 luglio 2015 n. 13. Catania: pp. 1-26, Available at https://www.comune.catania.it/il-comune/uffici/urbanistica/centro-storico/studio-dettaglio-tipologie-edilizie/upload-dicembre-2016/1-relazioni/Tav%20REL%20-%20Relazione%20Esplicativa.pdf (Accessed 20-6-2020)
Ref.5. European Commission (2010). Making our cities attractive and sustainable. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, Pp. 1-36, Available at https://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Making-our-cities-attractive-and-sustainable.pdf (Accessed 20-6-2020)
Comments and notes
Pictures of the NBS
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/montessori-3.jpg