1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Palermo
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Parco villa Turrisi
Short description of the intervention
The Villa Turrisi park has been the subject of a regeneration process request, implemented by some associations and citizens in order to protect the park. The goal of this citizen-based initiative is to regenerate the area with the expansion of the urban park, by adding several trees and plants. The main benefits of the project, apart from the cultural and social value of the new area, is the mitigation effect of the park in response to threats such as urban pollution, improvement of air quality, and biodiversity conservation (both plants and animal species). (Ref.1.)
Address

Via Aci
90135 Palermo
Italy

Area boundary
POINT (13.316195 38.12489)
POINT (13.322343 38.128956)
POINT (13.317655 38.129884)
NBS area image
Source of NBS area image
http://www.parcovillaturrisi.org/il-parco/
Total area
250000.00m²
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2013
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2015
End date of the intervention
ongoing
Present stage of the intervention
Goals of the intervention
The goal of the intervention is the realize an accessible and inclusive public park, in an area often characterized by the presence of abusive housing and infrastructures. The aim is to provide the park with new playgrounds and cycling paths, and additional trees and plants will be added. The whole process is the result of a citizen-based initiative, coordinated by non-profit associations (Ref.1&2)
The main benefits of the project, apart from the cultural and social value of the new area, is the mitigation effect of the park in response to threats such as urban pollution, improvement of air quality, and biodiversity conservation (both plants and animal species). (Ref.1.)
Quantitative targets
number of trees to be planted (50-100) (Ref.3.)
Monitoring indicators defined
Number of trees planted (Ref.3.)
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Implementation activities
The initiative started with a sit-in organized by the association "Parco villa Turrisi" and other partners, which requested to the municipality the intervention to transform the historical park of the villa to an urban park. The municipality approved their request, and the associations were in charge to take care of the public goods within the park (e.g. playground, benches, trees, plants etc.) (Ref.2&3)
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Parks and urban forests
Large urban parks or forests
Amenities offered by the NBS
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Air quality regulation
Carbon storage/sequestration
Cultural services
Recreation
Scale
Spatial scale
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Governance
Governance arrangements
Non-government actors
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches
Citizens or community groups
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
Association "Parco Villa Turrisi" = initiators of the project. They implement the activities and organize the regeneration process through a participatory approach
Other non-profit associations (comitato di AddioPizzo, Libera Palermo, Salvare Palermo, il comitato Bonafede-Russia, Italia Nostra, Parco della Salute, e Fiab) = collaborate and help with organizing activities and funding
Citizens = supported the request to regenerate the park
Municipality = agreed on starting the intervention, by giving the associations the permission to intervene on a public space
(Ref. 1,2&3)
Key actors - initiating organization
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Local government/municipality
Non-government organisation/civil society
Citizens or community group
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
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 a result of a local strategy of collaboration between the municipality, the association "Parco Villa Turrisi" and other non-profit associations (comitato di AddioPizzo, Libera Palermo, Salvare Palermo, il comitato Bonafede-Russia, Italia Nostra, Parco della Salute, e Fiab) which collaborated and helped with organizing activities (Ref.1.)
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Mandatory (based on policy)
Intervention is mandatory
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The city of Palermo recently signed a protocol named "Protocollo d'intesa Comune-Mab Sicilia" with a few associations (Kiwanis Panormo and Mab Sicilia) in order to promote the plantation of additional trees in public open green space. (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.
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
Yes
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Financing
Total cost
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
Non-financial contribution
Yes
Type of non-financial contribution
Type of innovation
Please specify social innovation
The innovation takes place thanks to a community-based initiative, as the non-profit association is starting the intervention. Thanks to the involvement of further associations and citizens, the municipality took into account their request (Ref.2.)
Novelty level of the innovation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Description of environmental benefits
The NBS is still ongoing, however, in 2018 it was open to 40 students, allowing young people to visit. The organisation that deals with the NBS planed a big public opening as well. These are the expected environmental benefits:
-In the western area of the city, the areas in question are among the few surfaces placed upstream of the ring road still free from buildings of considerable height (or compact buildings) and are also the only ones that allow the entire flow of air, in the direction North-South and vice versa, to cross the city at low altitude. This peculiarity allows concentrating here an almost constant airflow that produces a constant air exchange, with high benefits for the surrounding residential areas, in terms of reducing the levels of pollution from exhaust gases to which the town is subject.
-Another undoubtedly positive aspect is the beneficial contribution to the decrease in temperature produced by the humidity developed by the large amount of vegetation still present in the area which compensates for the excess heat caused by the massive presence of buildings all around. The sensation perceived passing near these tree-lined agricultural areas is that of a pleasant coolness enriched, in spring, by the intense scent of the orange blossom of citrus groves. (4)
Economic impacts
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Description of social and cultural benefits
It is expected from the intervention to help with the social integration of the citizens of Palermo into the community (4)
Type of reported impacts
Indicators
Unknown
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
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
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
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
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
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
List of references
Ref.1. PalermoMobilita (2017). PETIZIONE | Restituite ai cittadini il verde di Villa Turrisi. Available at http://palermo.mobilita.org/2017/05/18/petizione-restituite-ai-cittadini-il-verde-di-villa-turrisi/ (Accessed 11-10-2020)
Ref.2. Sicilia informaioni (2017) Palermo, sit-in per dare vita al Parco Villa Turrisi. Available at http://siciliainformazioni.com/redazione/636053/palermo-sit-dare-vita-al-parco-villa-turrisi (Website not available in 2020)
Ref.3. Repubblica (2015). Villa Turrisi, c’è l’ok del Comune: nasce il parco pubblico. Available at https://citta-in-rete-palermo.blogautore.repubblica.it/2015/04/09/villa-turrisi-ce-lok-del-comune-nasce-il-parco-pubblico/(Accessed 11-10-2020)
Ref.4 Parco Villa Turrisi (2020), Il Parco, Available at http://www.parcovillaturrisi.org/il-parco/, (Accessed 11-10-2020)
Comments and notes
Public Images
Image
Parco Villa Turrisi
Parco Villa Turrisi
Grazia Bommarito (https://www.facebook.com/parco.villaturrisi), retrieved 08/24/2018
Image
Parco Villa Turrisi
Parco Villa Turrisi
Grazia Bommarito (https://www.facebook.com/parco.villaturrisi), retrieved 08/24/2018