Tactical Urbanism is a low cost temporary intervention proposed in many cities as “easy” city repair in order to improve active mobility, increase pedestrian areas, discourage the use of cars removing parking and unnecessary pavement to transform it into green space, etc.
Following the current agenda of the Town Hall of Syracuse, that is massively increasing bike lanes and studying a new transport system, we proposed to the current mayor Francesco Italia and his entourage a selection of strategical pedestrian areas in crucial places of the City.
The pavements of the proposed locations will be painted by selected artists and creatives in order to create a diffused open-air collection of street-art with functional outdoor furniture (ping pong tables, plant pots, benches and small canopy).
All the proposed locations have been selected strategically also because of the existing local commerce, that could benefit by the increase of the pedestrian areas and improvement of the public space around.
The proposed locations in Syracuse are:
Piazza delle Poste
Via Cairoli and Via Palermo
Corso Umberto and Villini
Largo Calipari
Largo Empedocle
Piazza Euripide
Sbarcadero Santa Lucia
Via Pitia
Via Val D’Aosta
The project is currently under development and we are studying with the municipality possible way of collaboration.
WHAT To transform “ Riva della Posta” into a waterfront square, close the the busy bridges, that link Ortigia to the rest of the city.
WHY The people that come to Ortigia needs a maritime waterfront of a bigger scale. This space could pottentially offer sport facilities and playgrounds that Ortigia misses and eventually an extension of open air market
HOW Currently composed by a large scale fontain and unorganized parking, this large scale piazza needs a structure that offers different types of spaces and articulates the services of the ground floor.
WHAT To transform Via Cairoli and Via Palermo into pedestrian streets in the evening, finalizing this route into a maritime small scale square.
WHY The first segment of Via Cairoli (dashed in the picture) is already pedestrian in the evenings as it is surrounded by restaurants and bars. The rest of the same street is also composed by the same typology of services but does not offer the pedestrian access at nigth. This proposal wants to create a continuos pedestrian street where restaurants and bars can safely organize a qualified ‘evening life’.
HOW By removing the parking and blocking the access to the cars by nigth, as it is currently done.
WHAT To enlarge the existing pedestrial walkway in one of the residential blocks, giving space to the community to extend the activities on the ground floor such as restaurant, bookshops, flowershop etc.
WHY It is clearly a busy pedestrian area that requires more physical space.
HOW As this area has already planted trees, the walkway needs to be enlarged at the heigth of the walkway, ocupying the parking.
WHAT Two fenced public squares separated by a traffic road (Corso Umberto). Gates facing each other.
WHY This green area is one of the main gates/ entrance to Ortigia and needs more dignity. Unifiyng adjacent green spaces, by means of a pedestrian street ( a segment of Corso Umberto). Existing bars needs a larger space for users. Pedestrians have to feel safer and more respected.
HOW Traffic would have to go around to reach Piazza Marconi
WHAT In the cross between the Piazza Pantheon Corso Gelone and Via Catania, there is a small green island named Largo Nicola Caperi. To create an enlargmentment of this island, offering a confortable public space in one of the busiest areas of the city.
WHY This cross is one of the epicenters of the city in terms of public transportation, being an ‘informal hub’ that loads and unloads passangers that come from the outskirts of Siracusa, namely students because of the prossimity of the schools in this area.
HOW Avoiding parking and creating clusters of public furniture that accomodate the needs of the community.
Largo Empedocle
WHAT To enlarge the walkway, offering the community the space to accomodate public activities.
WHY This block is shorten to create a square that does not exist. Services such as restaurantes and bars surround this area, creating a vivid experience.
HOW Removing parking and creating shadow spots that allow permanence of the community.
Piazza Euripide
WHAT To create a pedestrian large plaza between Via Epicarmo and Via Agatocle, Via Agatocle and Via Diaz offering the community a square, that this area misses. This is one of the main joints of the city and it is located in front of a School.
WHY There is a large community of inhabitants also from mixed cultures in the area and many busy commercial spaces, but at the same time, the area is lacking of large public pedestrian spaces with some trees. Currently the space for cars is too large creating a completely random parking. The plaza has nice facades and is situated in joining points of two different arears: Umbertino and Borgata.
HOW The strategy would be to enlarge the walkway, on the side of Corso Gelone including the green spaces, cutting one road and reshape the green rotunda of Largo Gilippo.
WHAT To create a square in a cul-de-sac area at Porto Piccolo. A negleted area, used as parking. It has a small port beach adjacent to it.
WHY Siracusa has very few squares with a sea view. Facing Ortigia and the view of the port, this negleted space can become an attractive maritime square and illustrate that all the waterfront of porto piccolo has an immense potential as public space.
HOW Paving the asplhalt area in the end of the Port, avoing parking in that zone.
WHAT To create a small square in parking/street area adjacent to the bike road, by the sea.
WHY Siracusa has very few squares with a sea view. Facing the sea, this space would become a resting zone in the long bike road. This bike road does not have any shaded zone neither basic services such water dispenser, shadow,toilets, small bar,etc.
HOW Paving the area and moving some temporary services there. There is a wall separating the bike lane from the potential square that might need to be removed for an easy connection.
WHAT To create a pedestrian large walkway in the corner between Via Tisia and Via Pitia, offering the community a public space in one of the busiest areas of the city.
WHY Via Tisia and Via Pitia is the densest populated area in the high part of Siracusa, representing the busiest street in terms of services offered. Tipically this area is composed by high rise buildings: services in the ground floor and housing in the upper floors.
HOW Currently there is a very unorganized parking strategy in Via Pitia. The strategy would be to enlarge the walkway, avoiding the parking on that side of the street. Tree pots for shadow and public furniture for seating would create a qualified public space.