An open-house afternoon marked the official début of the new pedestrian zone on Via Rolando,the focal point of the Genova Street Lab project. An experimental project designed to enhance accessibility and improve the quality of public spaces, supported by Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo through the Prospettive Urbane (Urban Perspectives) call for proposals and developed in collaboration with the local community.
Today in Sampierdarena, the new pedestrian area in Via Rolando was officially inaugurated, one of the key actions of the Genova Street Lab project, promoted by the Municipality of Genoa, through the Urban Planning and Smart Mobility Departments, in collaboration with Municipio II Centro-Ovest.
The initiative has been carried out with the support of Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo as part of the Prospettive Urbane call for proposals, launched in 2021 to help local public authorities develop strategies and feasibility studies for urban regeneration programmes aimed at improving quality of life, reducing housing deprivation and fostering more inclusive and resilient communities. The project has also benefited from the technical and scientific expertise of the Polytechnic of Milan.
The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of the municipal administration, including the councillors for Urban Planning and Mobility – Francesca Coppola and Emilio Robotti – along with residents, families and local organisations involved in the neighbourhood’s transformation process.
For Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, the event was attended by Nicoletta Viziano, a member of the Management Committee, who commented:
«Genova Street Lab is a tangible outcome of the Urban Perspectives call for proposals promoted by Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo to support urban regeneration initiatives. This pilot project enhances the quality and safety of public spaces through light-touch interventions developed in collaboration with citizens, encouraging sustainable mobility and social inclusion. We believe that experiments like this are essential to improving quality of life and fostering a cultural shift in how we imagine our cities, placing people and their right to liveable spaces at the heart of urban development”.
With Prospettive Urbane, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo set out to support public bodies in developing feasibility studies and integrated programmes aimed at revitalising the urban fabric, reducing housing deprivation and promoting an approach to regeneration centred on everyday well-being, local development and the strengthening of community networks.
In this context, Genova Street Lab serves as an important testing ground both for the methodology adopted and for its ability to actively engage citizens.
The new pedestrian area on Via Rolando — featuring tactical urbanism interventions, temporary street furniture and dedicated social spaces — is designed to become a reference point for safer mobility and a more inclusive use of public space.
During the opening day, residents, families and students from local schools had the chance to explore the redesigned area and share valuable feedback that will support the monitoring activities carried out by the municipality over the coming months.
The work carried out on Via Rolando, in the Pavanello Gardens and at Largo Gozzano forms part of a broader project.
The results of this experimental phase will inform the development of guidelines that can be replicated in other urban contexts. This forward-looking approach underscores the value of Genova Street Lab as a pilot initiative capable of promoting a shared vision of a city that prioritises quality of life and community dynamics.
Further details can be found in the press release published on the Municipality of Genoa website.