The Lolli-Notarbartolo Linear Park: what it is and what it will be

The Linear Park between Piazza Lolli and the Notarbartolo station is unveiled through a dossier presented by Rfi to the Urban Planning Council in view of the construction of the new Malaspina station on the railway ring. All design measures are described in detail, from green areas to bicycle paths, including the removal of barriers also on the Malaspina side, in a densely populated area with schools. The declared aim is to "give meaning to spaces born from the speculation of the years of plunder that have no regard for civic, environmental, and social dimensions, focusing on four main aspects: play space, theater, education, and park".

"Last week - commented Councilor Giulia Argiroffi, a member of the second commission - after months of silence and difficult discussions, relations between the City Council and RFI have finally been reestablished: the project related to the area between Malaspina and Notarbartolo was indeed presented in the commission.

However, this project comes with a significant delay: the same area was supposed to be the subject of a masterplan to be developed through a competition by March two years ago. This further postponement unfortunately fits into a long line of unfulfilled promises and broken commitments by Rfi, fueling yet another disappointment.

Among the most emblematic examples are the endless construction site of the railway doubling, in the shameful unfinished affair of Vicolo Bernava; the interminable delays that continue to characterize the railway ring construction site, now in its twelfth year of delay; the failure to deliver the redeveloped areas at the San Lorenzo station; as well as the failure to implement the urban redevelopment project approved alongside the variant for the Giachery station.

Nevertheless, I recognize that the illustrated project has elements of undeniable interest, especially in the work on "edges" with the intention of opening urban spaces as much as possible for full enjoyment. I acknowledge that it incorporates and develops the indications that the City Council has expressed over time through amendments and motions, offering coherent responses and opening up to shareable design scenarios. This is a foundation that, if pursued with seriousness and continuity, could represent a concrete opportunity for the revitalization of the area.

However, there remains a strong difficultly in fully trusting - adds the councilor - the city continues to suffer from a negative exceptional condition compared to the rest of the national territory: endless construction sites, unfinished works, outdated projects, and, above all, a persistent absence of a comprehensive vision for urban regeneration.

It is precisely for this reason that the expectations for this project are now particularly high. It must not only address the needs of the affected area but also fill the serious deficiencies accumulated over the years and finally mark a concrete, credible, and verifiable change of course over time.