1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Catania
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Rigenerazione parco Falcone
Short description of the intervention
The park, dedicated to the Sicilian judge assassinated by the mafia in the early 90s, was the object of a regeneration project by two associations (with the approval of the municipality). The initiative was practically implemented by kids of several schools in Catania, which were invited to the park with the intention of cleaning the area to make the spot available to new plants and trees. This is not just a natural intervention, it is of great cultural and social value for the importance of the character for the city and region. (Ref.1.)
Address

Viale Raffaello Sanzio
95127 Catania
Italy

Location
Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Residential
Public Greenspace Area
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2016
End date of the intervention
2017
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Goals of the intervention
The initiative is addressed to the schools of Catania and citizens who aimed to improve the conditions of the park. The plantation of plants and new flowers aimed at regenerating the green area and to make it more attractive for residents and visitors. An important outcome of the intervention is the social inclusiveness, and the educational value of the initiative for the kids (Ref.1.)
Quantitative targets
Unknown
Monitoring indicators defined
Unknown
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
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)
Environmental education
Social interaction
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Enabling opportunities for physical activity
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
Implementation activities
The project is an initiative of the non-profit organization CittàInsieme, which with the authorization of the municipality of Catania involved schools and citizens in this regeneration process. In specific days of last May, all the actors worked together in the park to complete the intervention (Ref.2.)
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
Maintenance and management of urban nature
Knowledge creation and awareness raising
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Parks and urban forests
Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Vegetation Type
Grass
Trees
Flower beds
Please specify how many trees were planted
Unknown
Amenities offered by the NBS
Unknown
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Inspiration for culture, art and design
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
Non-government organisation/Civil Society
Citizens or community groups
Young people and children
Governance
Governance arrangements
Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Non-government actors
Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches
Citizens or community groups
Coalition with multiple of the above
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
CittàInsieme = initiators of the project, implementing guidelines and activities. In addition, they involved the other actors;
Municipality of Catania = allowed the association to implement the intervention in a public open space. They also provided small funds;
Schools = collaboration in the initiative for the days established;
CItizens = volunteers had the chance to participate.
Key actors - initiating organization
Non-government organisation/civil society
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Local government/municipality
Public sector institution
Non-government organisation/civil society
Citizens or community group
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Dissemination of information and education
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"
The intervention was possible because of the Piano regolatore della città (PRG, regulatory plan of the city), which established the green areas where initiatives can take place (Ref.3.)
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Please specify other type of voluntary intervention
The intervention was voluntary, because it was the result of the initiative of a non-profit association which wants to preserve the natural area of the city and some schools of the area (Ref.2.)
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The intervention was possible because of the Piano regolatore della città (PRG, regulatory plan of the city), which established the green areas where initiatives can take place (Ref.3.)
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
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
Unknown
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
Public local authority budget
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
Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Business models
Green densification model
Local stewardship model
Green education 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
Cultural innovation
Please specify social innovation
The intervention was a result of a voluntary intervention by the non-profit association CittàInsieme, which involved at the same time schools and volunteers. This provides an example of decentralised governance, as the initiative was implemented by non-profit organization and citizens. In addition, the project was hindering the intentions of the local mafia to abusively occupy the park, and the fact that they still managed to perform the intervention is an important message for the whole city, and this gives further cultural meaning to the park which becomes a cultural symbol of fight against organize crime (Ref.1.)
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is copied/derived from previous initiative(s) with substantial adaptation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
The organization CittàInsieme has previously implemented similar interventions in Catania, aiming at regenerating the cultural value of public spaces in the city. (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
Health and wellbeing
Improved physical health
Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Improvement in people’s connection to nature
Increased awareness of flora and fauna as culturally and historically meaningful
Increased appreciation for natural spaces
Increased support for education and scientific research
Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Description of social and cultural benefits
The intervention produced a positive impact of the park in terms of regenerating a green area in a relatively poor neighbourhood. This helped to increase the attractiveness of the area, and the park became a spot for recreation and physical activity for both children and adults, as well as in educating them with the cleaning and replanting activities taken. People felt more connected to this space and appreciate it more because they worked together as a community in the NBS (Ref. 1, 2).
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
Unknown.
Environmental, social and economic impacts
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
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
Voluntary work opportunities
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
Positive distribution of NBS benefits
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
Yes
Mode(s) of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
Interview
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. Parco Falcone, domenica l'iniziativa di Cittainsieme
Ref.2. “Capaci X Cambiare”, una giornata di riqualificazione del Parco Falcone
Documents relevant to the intervention
Attachment Size
Ref.3. Regulatory plan Catania (252.05 KB) 252.05 KB
List of references
Ref.1. LiveSiciliaCatania (2017). Parco Falcone, domenica l'iniziativa di Cittainsieme. Available at http://catania.livesicilia.it/2017/05/19/parco-falcone-domenica-liniziativa-di-cittainsieme_417874/ (Accessed 20-6-2020)
Ref.2. Mobilita.org (2017). “Capaci X Cambiare”, una giornata di riqualificazione del Parco Falcone. Available at http://catania.mobilita.org/2017/05/18/capaci-x-cambiare-una-giornata-di-riqualificazione-del-parco-falcone/ (Accessed 20-6-2020)
Comments and notes
Additional insights
This is a NBS that took place in 2018 and 2019 as well, with the same organizers. Parents with children, citizens, the entire community was invited to help with planting of flowers and trees. it looks more like a community based activity directed toward social cohesion.
http://www.cataniatoday.it/cronaca/parco-falcone-pulizia-26-settembre-2018.html

http://www.cataniatoday.it/cronaca/pulizie-parco-falcone-cittainsieme-strage-di-capaci.html
Pictures of the NBS
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