Regeneration of abandoned areas of the former circumetnea railway

Mission 5 Component 2 Investment 5 – Urban Integration Plans (general projects and Overcoming illegal settlements to fight labour exploitation in agriculture)

Italy’s Recovery and Resilience Plan provides for the regeneration, revitalization and enhancement of large degraded urban areas, with particular attention to the creation of new services for the person and the requalification of accessibility and inter-modal infrastructures, allowing the transformation of vulnerable territories into smart and sustainable cities.

This investment includes two interventions: (I) support to general projects to deliver and implement urban integrated plans, such as maintenance and reuse of public areas and buildings, regeneration and valorisation of under-used or unused urban areas, etc. (II) specific projects to overcome illegal settlements in agriculture.

Local administrations shall be supported in the creation of action plans to overcome illegal settlements and provide decent housing solutions for workers in the agricultural sector.

Furthermore, under this investment a thematic Fund (Fund of Funds) shall be created, in collaboration with the EIB, targeting the support of private intervention in urban regeneration initiatives.

This fund shall be used to support the climate and digital transition of urban areas.

The investment is financed by Italy’s Recovery and resilience plan by EUR 1.4 billion.

As part of this investment, the project of the Integrated Plan for the territory of the Metropolitan City of Catania aims to:

- identify urban areas with particular relevance to the themes and objectives of the NRPV, on which investment appears to be crucial as margins to be recovered and reintegrated into the life of the urban and territorial context

- to create a system of interaction and territorial connection between urban areas, through the existing and abandoned railway line, under the Circumetnea Railway, and through alternative and gentle mobility systems.

The role of the metropolitan city starting from the CR2 node with the aim of encouraging soft and sustainable mobility, as a centre of activity, played by Catania, clearly recalls the opportunity to promote an investment for the urban regeneration of those areas, strategically strong but weak in supply.

The areas within the municipal territories of the CR2 node, can be easily integrated into the vast metropolitan context of the city of Catania.

Within this complex geography there is a strategy of urban and territorial regeneration related to the Strategic Axes and Missions of the NRRP, and specifically the subject of the objectives of Measure 2.2.

The Integrated Plan includes:

- Planning, with location within the municipal territory of the Etnean capital, concerning priority areas of importance for the themes of regeneration and urban regeneration:

o Cappellone / Adrano

o Casina / Biancavilla

o Former section FCE / S.M. of Licodia

o Ardizzone and Salinella districts / Paternò

o Piano Vite / Ragalna                                                                                                   

- Planning with localization in inter-municipal areas and that develop the issues of social cohesion and urban regeneration in the largest metropolitan area.

They are conceived as the development of public spaces and equipment linked to the new accessibility offered by the metro and greenways system.

The proposed framework also maximises the investments to be made, based on the resources made available by the NRRP, grafting the interventions of the Integrated Plan on a series of complementary projects, ongoing development with the intention of drawing on resources with a planned and timely planning, in particular:

- Measures being implemented and planned for the development of systems and services for urban mobility (Redevelopment and Development of internal roads for some municipalities of the metropolitan city).

- Planned interventions for the implementation of greenways and infrastructure and services for alternative and gentle mobility and equipment for rest and modal interchange.

The NRRP funds allocated to this project amount to EUR 13.6million.