Italian cities towards a new urban model

The publication of 'Ecosistema Urbano 2017', the annual report by Legambiente on the environmental performance of Italian provinces capital towns, showed a different ability of Italian cities to move towards a new urban model, obtaining better results in Central-northern Italy and poorer performances in Southern cities, still penalized by inadequate waste recycling, smog emergency, poor urban green environment and lack of pedestrian refuge areas.

The top of the ranking is Mantua where, according to Legambiente, the separate waste collection rate reaches almost 80% (compared to almost 9% in Enna) and there are 29 equivalent meters of cycle paths per 100 inhabitants (41 in Reggio Emilia and 26 in Ravenna on one hand, zero in Caltanissetta, Caserta, Enna, L’Aquila, Potenza, Taranto and Vibo Valentia on the other one).

16 indicators has been used in the evaluation process of environmental performance, relating to mobility, air pollution, waste and water management, urban environment and energy.

Considering public transport, Venice (due to the peculiarity of the city and strong tourist inflows) and Milan are the cities with the largest number of public transport trips per inhabitant every year, but also Rome, Trieste and Bologna obtain good results. At the bottom of the ranking, except for Sondrio, only cities from the South of Italy, with the lowest rates of public transport use. This latter mode of transport is preferred in at least 16 European capitals (Copenaghen, Paris, Budapest, Amsterdam, Vienna, etc.).

In this cities private cars use has been cut, unlike in Italy. Venice, with its unique characteristics, records 42 cars per 100 inhabitants, followed by Genoa and La Spezia (46 and 50 cars respectively), Milan (51) and Bologna, Florence and Trieste (52 cars per inhabitant). L’Aquila holds the record for the highest number of cars per 100 inhabitants (76).

Will most of Italian cities succeed in meeting the european standards, like the top performers? The way could to be long, considering for example that in Italy the subways network extends for 237,4 kms compared to 464,2 only in London, 291,5 in Madrid and 219,5 in Paris.