1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Catania
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Primavera Siciliana
Short description of the intervention
This citizen-based initiative takes place in the heart of the city, in between the streets Montesano, San Michele, Carcaci, Sangiuliano. The project is the result of a collaboration among residents, artists and shop owners who are planning the regeneration of the area, which is currently in a state of decay. In particular, they realize green interventions (biological horticulture gardens, 100 new plantations) in the streets and on the buildings, to make the area more liveable and attractive for tourism. The initiative is fully supported by the municipality, who implemented the public areas to implement the interventions. (Ref.1.) This NBS has been an annual event, happening since 2013 (Ref. 2).
Address

Piazza Manganelli
95131 Catania
Italy

Location
Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Previous derelict area
Residential
Website of the intervention
https://ietna.it/2014/03/20/verde-cittadino-e-foreste-urbane-parte-da-catania-l…
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2013
End date of the intervention
ongoing
Present stage of the intervention
Ongoing
Goals of the intervention
The goal of the project is to renew an important district in Catania, where lots of shops and activities take place. With the collaboration of the municipality, private companies and designers, the entire area experiences the implementation of green areas and small plantations in the streets and on buildings. This means increasing the attractiveness of the area (economic activity will benefit), and at the same time increases the well being of residents and workers (Ref.1.)
Quantitative targets
500 new plants (Ref.1.)
Monitoring indicators defined
Number of new plants (Ref 1)
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Regulation of built environment
Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Enabling opportunities for physical activity
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
Tourism support
Implementation activities
The intervention was born with a co-planning process of different stakeholders, including the municipality, shop owners, designers and volunteers. Once the intervention was identified, the association PromoVerde (national agency) started to plan the activities and to involve other participants, such as the local Committee of the area formed by residents willing to renew the area. (Ref.2.)
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
Transformation of previously derelict areas
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Nature on buildings (external)
Balcony greens
Grey infrastructure featuring greens
Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
Community gardens and allotments
Community gardens
Type of Green Wall
Climbing façades
Please specify the number of plots or allotment gardens
Unknown
Vegetation Type
Grass
Shrubs
Garden beds
Amenities offered by the NBS
Unknown
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Cultural services
Tourism
Aesthetic appreciation
Recreation
Mental and physical health and wellbeing
Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)
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
Non-government actors
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches
Private sector/Corporate/Business
Citizens or community groups
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
PromoVerde is a non-profit agency at national level which coordinates the activity of professionals, agencies and private sector to promote at the local level a new relationship with nature and urban environment. They created and implemented the initiative, and are responsible to coordinate the activities.
Shop owners, designers = collaborate with PromoVerde to implement the initiative, and more in practice to locate the plants and green areas;
Citizens = volunteers help in works;
Local committee = citizen-based initiative which is involved in the project (Ref. 1&2).
Key actors - initiating organization
National government
Non-government organisation/civil society
Land owners
Private sector or company
Public space owned by the city
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Local government/municipality
Non-government organisation/civil society
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Citizens or community group
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
Unknown
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"
Interventions at urban level for the neighbourhoods in Catania (and for sustainable urban regeneration in general) are regulated by the "Strategia urbana di sviluppo sostenibile" (Urban strategy for sustainable development) (Ref.3.)
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Please specify other type of voluntary intervention
The intervention is result of the initiative of a non-profit organization which aims to bring the culture and value of nature at urban level, and to show that they can be merged sucessfully (Ref.2.)
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
Yes
Please specify the general plan with GI/NBS section
Interventions at urban level for the neighbourhoods in Catania (and for sustainable urban regeneration in general) are regulated by the "Strategia urbana di sviluppo sostenibile" (Urban strategy for sustainable development) (Ref.3.)
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
Urban redevelopment plan
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
For this specific project a network of stakeholders has been created. In fact, the agency PromoVerde has coordinated the activity of volunteers, local committee, shop owners and designers to reach the objectives of the nature-based solution. (Ref.1.)
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
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
Unknown
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)
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
Private Foundation/Trust
Type of fund(s) used
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Yes
Type of non-financial contribution
Provision of land
Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
Private sector (businesses, financial institution)
Business models
Green densification model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)
Citizens / local communities
Type of innovation
Social
Governance innovation
Please specify social innovation
The innovation can be considered a governace innovation because it was the result of voluntary actions of both non-profit organizations and community-based initatives. The non-profit agency provided the idea and the project to the neighbourhood which wanted a regeneration process, and through mutual collaboration they achieved that. (REf.2.)
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is completely new without connections to previous initiative(s)
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is not referred to previous initiative at city level, and it is said that is the first time the city experiences the involvement of citizens to give new green capital for their own initiative (Ref.1.)
Replicability/Transferability
The innovation is not referred to as being transferred to new initiative(s)
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
Description of environmental benefits
This NBS has been an annual event, happening since 2013. The exhibitions were permanent and temporary. Some of the plants that were planted over the years are well maintained. (2) No other information was provided
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Improved access to urban green space
Increased opportunities for social interaction
Health and wellbeing
Improved physical health
Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Education
Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Description of social and cultural benefits
Every year, the event attracted considerable numbers of residents, through Facebook posts and Instagram. The organizer was putting in place not only exhibitions or workshops on plants and the importance of the environment but also meetings with writers and specialists (2)
The interventions regenerated the whole area which is the centre of cultural and economic importance for the city. Green areas and plants are expected to increase the health and well-being of residents and visitors, while at the same time making the area more attractive. This might help the economic activities of the neighbourhood as well, although no economic impacts were mentioned.
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
Unknown
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Social interaction
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Enabling opportunities for physical activity
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
Tourism support
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
The event has not been implemented in 2020, due to the pandemic.
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
Yes
Mode(s) of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
Submission of monitoring data (citizen observation)
Please specify other modes of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
The residents of the area were asked about the positive impact and the success of the experiment in informal interviews during the manifestation (Ref.1.)
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. Verde cittadino e Foreste Urbane. Parte da Catania la “Primavera Sicilia…
Ref.2. IN PRIMAVERA LA SICILIA È VERDE, A PALERMO CATANIA, CALTAGIRONE, DAL 21 …
List of references
Ref.1. iEtna (2014). Verde cittadino e Foreste Urbane. Parte da Catania la “Primavera Siciliana”. Available at http://ietna.it/2014/03/20/verde-cittadino-e-foreste-urbane-parte-da-catania-la-primavera-siciliana/ (Accessed 20-6-2020)
Ref.2. Nemeton (2013). IN PRIMAVERA LA SICILIA È VERDE, A PALERMO CATANIA, CALTAGIRONE, DAL 21 AL 24 MARZO. Available at http://www.nemetonmagazine.net/blog/?p=2578 (Accessed 20-6-2020)
Comments and notes
Pictures of the NBS
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