The redevelopment of Genova's Old Town gets underway: a place to live, study and work

The Municipality of Genova is committed to redeveloping Genoa's historic city centre, one of the largest in Europe, characterised by inestimable artistic and cultural value and frequented by students and tourists.

The project is called ‘ZAC’, an acronym that stands for Zena Active Citizens of Genoa, and envisages the participation of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in a call for proposals with the presentation of specific redevelopment projects, with the possibility of receiving from 40 to 120 thousand euro from the Municipality of Genova supported by Pn Metro Plus and Città Medie Sud 2021-2027 funds.

This funding, which is compatible with the rent bonus in the historic city centre, will have to concern an area between the Sestriere di Prè, which is to become the symbol of the diffuse student district, the La Maddalena district, which is to be transformed into a district of craftsmanship and circular economy, and the Il Molo district, which is to be transformed into a sustainable movida hub.

The ZAC Call for Proposals represents the culmination of a needs-sharing process with the Civ, the Third Sector, citizens, the University of Genoa and the Genoa Design District, as well as the local realities that animate the city, and starts from the needs expressed by these stakeholders, such as the need for housing for the many university students away from home.

Starting from the needs expressed by the community and local stakeholders, the aim is to make Genoa's historic city centre more liveable - safe and with a high quality of life - economically developed, attractive for citizens and tourists, inclusive, sustainable and a place of well-being, in line with the strategy ‘Genoa 2050 - Action Plan for a Lighthouse City’ and the Municipality of Genova's policy documents.

Student halls of residence as an engine for the redevelopment of the city, made possible not only by public-private partnerships but also by synergies between young people and seniors, where the latter provide housing for the former, who contribute to repopulating the historic centre, making it a safe, attractive and sustainable place.

With the ZAC project, the heart of Genoa beats stronger, becoming a pulsating centre of culture, economy and well-being for citizens and tourists.