DISTRICT 121: THE PILOT PROJECT FOR URBAN REGENERATION IN THE CITY CENTER

Enhancing a highly central urban area that, in recent years, has been experiencing a gradual decline in vitality: this is the challenge that the public administration of Genoa has set for itself and presented at the major international real estate event, MIPIM in Cannes. The ambition is to create a true district in the city center - District 121 - which will include Piccapietra, Portoria, and Pammatone, and to give it a new identity incorporating food experiences, wellness, fashion, green spaces, and technology.

The revitalization of the city’s core involves architectural restyling, including the evening closure of shopping galleries to ensure public safety, along with a series of “life design” interventions: the installation of new lighting, urban furnishings, and LED screens, as well as the creation of Wi-Fi stations for smart working and studying, in addition to a neighborhood nursery (garderie-style) with flexible services. The central idea is to promote a food court in Piazza Piccapietra, a fashion district extending to Galleria Mazzini, an area dedicated to technological experiences, and a wellness-focused zone along Via XII Ottobre and in the area of the former Pammatone Hospital, in order to make these environments more functional, livable, and better connected with the surrounding context. The building of primary interest is the former “Rinascente,” whose closure in 2018 marked the beginning of the area’s commercial decline: crucial will be the outcome of the ongoing negotiations between Bper, the property owner, and the Irish company Primark.

The plan aims to implement a strategic shift by involving the real estate sector and, above all, actively attracting high-quality national and international investors through significant financial and bureaucratic incentives. The municipality is currently working on issuing the tender. The hope is that this innovative model of territorial marketing and urban regeneration will be the key to the project’s success, potentially becoming a benchmark for the future of Genoa.