1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Palermo
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Waterfront Palermo
Short description of the intervention
This intervention is part of a broader masterplan regarding harbours and seacoast in Palermo, with a specific focus on the Cala coastal area. The waterfront has importance for the city not just as a harbour, but for its relational, cultural and recreational functions as well. In particular, the Molo Trapezoidale can become the new “water district” in which compatible port functions will be integrated with the existing urban functions and the new residential areas, as well as the new cultural and recreational services with new infrastructures linked with natural features such as green areas and trees. (Ref.1.)
Address

Via Cala
90133 Palermo
Italy

Location
The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by).
Area boundary
POINT (13.357861 38.147903)
POINT (13.371801 38.119245)
NBS area image
Source of NBS area image
https://www.pagineazzurre.com/porti-della-sicilia/porto-palermo-porto-commerciale/
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Natural Heritage Area/Untouched nature
Cultural Heritage Area
Other
Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS
Sea side
Website of the intervention
http://retedigital.com/wp-content/themes/rete/pdfs/portus/Portus_12/Waterfront_…
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2004
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2011
End date of the intervention
ongoing
Present stage of the intervention
Ongoing
Goals of the intervention
The goals of the intervention are to mainly improve the accessibility and functionality of the coastal area and the harbour area. The city wants to enhance its port functions and integrate them with urban services, residences and local area services; whose objective is to provide a natural space which links the city with the coast (Ref.1).
Quantitative targets
Unknown
Monitoring indicators defined
Unknown
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14)
Coastal protection / hazard mitigation
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
Tourism support
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Preservation of natural heritage
Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
Implementation activities
In order to reach the above-mentioned goals, the city is willing to improve the area surrounding the coast by providing small green areas and trees plantation. Those will help to create new points of meeting in the area and improve economic activities (Ref.2.)
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
Coastal landscape management or protection
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
Blue infrastructure
Coastlines
Vegetation Type
Trees
Please specify how many trees were planted
Unknown
Amenities offered by the NBS
Benches and drinking water stations
Sports areas and equipment
Complementing infrastructure (bathrooms, café)
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)
Coastal protection
Cultural services
Tourism
Recreation
Scale
Spatial scale
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Local government/Municipality
Citizens or community groups
Governance
Governance arrangements
Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Non-government actors
Researchers, university
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
The Ministry of the Infrastructure at national level financed the project, with the active partnership of the City Government which sets the guidelines and regulation for the intervention, while the Port Authority and the Italian railway company collaborated in the provision of land. The partnership between the Ministry of Infrastructure, the municipality and the Port Authority operates for all interventions regarding the coastal area. The University of Palermo contributed with a scientific study on this case (Ref.1&2)
Key actors - initiating organization
Local government/municipality
Land owners
Private sector or company
Railway
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
National government
Local government/municipality
Researchers/university
Land owners
Private sector or company
Railway
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
Co-management/Joint management
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan
The regeneration project for the waterfront is part of a wider innovative program entitled “Ports&Stations”, implemented and financed by the Ministry of the Infrastructure (Ref.1.)
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
At local level the strategy derives from the municipal "Master Plan", which operates as “manifesto” for the requalification of urban waterfronts and for the consideration of the city and the practice of design (Ref.1.)
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Mandatory (based on policy)
Intervention is mandatory
Spatial planning guidance
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
At local level the strategy derives from the municipal "Master Plan", which operates as “manifesto” for the requalification of urban waterfronts and for the consideration of the city and the practice of design (Ref.1.)
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
Water regulation strategy
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
Yes
Please specify
The University of Palermo submitted a paper which explains the value and functionality of the waterfront regeneration (Ref.1.)
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
There are subsides for this intervention in the city, granted by the Ministry of Infrastructure at national level (Ref.1.)
Co-finance for NBS
No
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 national 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
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
Please specify other Business model
Blue heritage model
Business models
Risk reduction model
Other
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Type of innovation
Social
Policy innovation
Economic innovation
Cultural innovation
Please specify social innovation
The intervention is a policy innovation because it was based on a new policy framework established by the local Master Plan. In addion, the harbor area will have a new function for the city as point of social meeting and recreation, providing a new cultural service (Ref.3.)
Finally, the intervention can be considered an economic innovation, because it will enhance the flow of goods, people an resources in the area - for the increased attractiveness and improvement of economic activities. (Ref.3.)
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 innovation is part of the general Master Plan of the city for natural and coastline interventions, which started years ago with the goal of regenerating the coastal area. This intervention is more recent and it is based on the plan guidelines (REf.2.)
Replicability/Transferability
The innovation is transferred to new initiative(s) with substantial adaptation
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
The innovation when completed will be used as a point of reference for further interventions designed by the Master Plan of the city of Palermo (Ref.2.)
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Environmental quality
Improved air quality
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Description of environmental benefits
The project is ongoing and reports have not been made public. Nevertheless, the intervention is aiming at improving the condition and accessibility of the coast, which has been threatened by polluting human activity. To improve this, the creation of green spaces will contribute to regenerate an area mainly dominated by concrete. This will improve the air quality of the area (1,3)
Economic impacts
Attraction of business and investment
Description of economic benefits
Improvement of economic activities (revenues of touristic and private companies)(Ref.2.)
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Improved social cohesion
Description of social and cultural benefits
It is expected that the new project will create new points of meeting - improving social inclusion - in an area which plays an important role in the economic activities which will benefit from the new conditions. Finally, the cultural value of the area can be considered as improved for all the above-mentioned services and impacts (1,3)
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Indicators
- m2 of green areas (Ref.2)
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14)
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
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
Unknown as of October 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
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
Yes
Link to monitoring/evaluation reports
http://www1.unipa.it/mcarta/PIAU/piau_pa.html
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.2. PROGETTO DI SISTEMAZIONE DEL WATERFRONT DI PALERMO
Ref.3. Il progetto per il Waterfront Centrale di Palermo come motore di rigener…
Documents relevant to the intervention
Attachment Size
Ref.1. Plan Waterfront Palermo (404.95 KB) 404.95 KB
List of references
Ref.1. Maurizio Carta (2008). Plan Waterfront Palermo. University of Palermo. Palermo: pp. 1-6 (Attached document)
Ref.2. Perticau (2004). PROGETTO DI SISTEMAZIONE DEL WATERFRONT DI PALERMO. Available at https://perticau.wixsite.com/giovannilucentini/waterfront-palermo (Accessed 13-10-2020)
Ref.3. Biennale spazio pubblico (2011). Il progetto per il Waterfront Centrale di Palermo come motore di rigenerazione urbana. Available at http://www.biennalespaziopubblico.it/waterfront-centrale-palermo/ (Accessed 13-10-2020)
Comments and notes
Pictures of the NBS
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/piau.jpg
Public Images
Photo 1
http://www1.unipa.it/mcarta/PIAU/piau_pa.html
Photo 2
http://www1.unipa.it/mcarta/PIAU/piau_pa.html
Area view
http://www1.unipa.it/mcarta/PIAU/piau_pa.html