Alpcity

Local endogenous development
and urban regeneration of small alpine towns

Summary:



WP7 Friuli Venezia Giulia

Guidelines for the recovery of abandoned areas in the neighbourhood of the borders with Austria and Slovenia


Case-project abstract

Starting from the project idea designed to enhance the endogenous resources of alpine territories and settlements with the aim of supporting the social/economic development and also keeping in mind the difficulty for such small administrations (in terms of size, financial capacity and professional skill) of facing a complex inter-sectorial plan for territorial and urban enhancement, the Regional Administration intends financing study and planning activities, articulated as described her below. These activities should reach the level of a "pre-feasibility project" including the project financing necessary to it actually being carried out.

Development of the project:

  • preliminary analysis of the endogenous resources and of the existing potentialities connected to the recovery - aimed at tourists or with productive objectives - of the abandoned areas in the territory of , with particular reference to the areas bordering with Austria and Slovenia;
  • collection, comparison and assessment of the proposals and ideas that have come up at a local level together with the best practices, identified at a trans-national level, concerning similar problems in the field of recovery of the dismantled areas;
  • planning and pre-feasibility and definition of guidelines for the recovery of dismantled areas and structures in the zones that have been identified.

In order to carry out the said study and planning activities the University of Udine (Department of Civil Engineering) will be asked to give their contribution as scientific consultants.

Reasons for the choice of this case-project

Apart from the general motivations stated at the previous point, the problem of the recovery of dismantled areas is particularly felt in the area chosen for carrying out the project in that many structures, both with military as well as civil characteristics, have been dismantled or are being dismantled after the elimination of the border with Austria and, recently, the one with Slovenia.


Adopted methodology

The methodology that we intend to use has already been described in the case project abstract.


Expected benefits (local and regional levels)

The preliminary analysis and the pre-feasibility plan could make it possible for the local authorities to have an operating tool that can be immediately used to start the recovery of areas and structures, at present not in use, with tourist and productive objectives.

The model, opportunely adapted, will also have to be transferred to other areas of the region with similar problems.


Are follow-up activities foreseen ?

The identified model will be spread among the local authorities of the mountain territory that have to deal with similar realities.


Expected value added (other than financial) from the participation to an INTERREG project

The possibility to develop knowledge and capacity of intervening in similar issues thanks to the comparison between different administrative, cultural and territorial realities.


Expected transnational exchange benefit gained from the case

As mentioned in the previous point, the participation in the AlpCity project should make it possible to confront similar experiences with the aim of adopting the best solutions that come out of the different approaches towards similar problems.

In actual fact, a confrontation on the topic of the recovery and enhancement of dismantled urban areas has not really been started at a trans-national level.


Output indicators
  • Carrying out a preliminary analysis of the endogenous resources and existing potentials connected to recovery aimed at developing tourism and/or productivity in the dismantled area of Tarvisio and its surrounding territory;
  • collecing, comparing and assessing the proposal and ideas that have come up at a local level (6 municipalities involved) with the best practices identified, at a trans-national level, concerning similar problems;
  • carrying out at least one model project of pre-feasibility;
  • definition of guidelines for the recovery of dismantled areas and structures in the identified zones;
  • preparing a project financing model.

Impact indicators
  • Using the abandoned building heritage with a productive aim;
  • improving the quality of the urban landscape;
  • contrasting the progressive social/economic and physical decay of the areas involved.

Name of the town/s concerned (please list all individual towns and other administrative levels concerned by each case-project)

Municipalities of Tarvisio, Malborghetto /Valbruna, Pontebba, Chiusaforte, Dogna, Moggio Udinese.

Comunitŕ Montana del (Mountain Community of) Gemonese and della(of the) Val Canale/Canal del Ferro.

* At the moment, due to bureaucratic reasons, we are not able to enclose a file with the map of the territory, we hope to be able to send it in the near future, before the meeting in Sierre.


Demographic, social and economic situation of the town/s concerned and specifically identified problems

Tarvisio and its surrounding area, which the project refers to, can be divided into two different population realities: that of the main centre (Tarvisio approx. 5,000 inhab.) and of the bordering municipalities (Malborghetto/Valbruna approx. 1,000 inhab.) which, after having, in turn, suffered from depopulation and progressive ageing of the population, now seems to be sufficiently stable, also thanks to the fact that it has been able to compensate the lessening of economic activities connected to the presence of the old Austrian and Slovene borders thanks to the fact that business activities have been maintained and to a slow but promising increase in tourism, which promises a possible future increase.

The remaining area, in the narrower and more closed part of the valley is, instead, affected by a decline that seems unstoppable due to the decline in business activities connected to the borders (in particular Pontebba, approx 2,000 inhabitants, seat of the old Railway Customs) to the decline of the various sectors of the mountain economy and to the fact, which is by no means secondary, that the construction of the motorway has excluded them from the benefits that derived from the passage of tourists and business now almost non-existent, which has condemned them (Chiusaforte, approx. 850 inhab., Dogna, approx. 250 inhab., Moggio Udinese, approx. 2,000 inhab.) to a marginal situation which is extremely difficult to solve. Only Pontebba, thanks to the planned extension towards Italy of the Carinzian tourist district of Nassfeld, which could in the future benefit from a certain tourist development, while Moggio Udinese, located at the beginning of the valley, survives in a stalemate.


Role of the mountain resource within the local development chances of the town/s concerned (positive or negative)

The natural/environmental characteristics of the area involved, particularly for whatever concerns the area that is closer to the borders with Austria and Slovenia, is a resource of great importance for a sustainable and modern tourist development that foresees a large number of offers (sports, excursions, thematic, nature, wine and food) for which the recovery of the building heritage, concerning buildings that are not utilised, can be considered a decisive element of support.


Expected contribution of the foreseen actions towards the development of the town/s concerned

The recovery of the building heritage and of the dismantled areas can make it possible to develop, in a more harmonious way, the urban landscape, improving the use of it and its functionality, also in terms of wide accomodation capacity and of opportunities for productive settlements integrated in a reality that is not degraded.


Who is the responsible for the concrete development of the project?

In order to carry out the study and the planning activites the University of Udine (Civil Engineering Department) will be asked for a scientific consultancy.

The 'Service for the Mountain Territory' of the 'Central Direction for Forestry, Natural and Agricultural Resources' of the Region FVG is responsible for carrying out the project.


How are activities sub-contracted? ? (if it is the case)

By entrusting directly the study to the University of Udine (a possibility envisaged for research institutes as according to national and regional laws).


Beside the partner, which administrative authorities are involved in the project? How?

The frequently-mentioned Local Authorities, that is, Municipalities and Mountain Communities, that will be involved in the entire phase of analysis and study preceding the planning phase, through interviews and meetings.


Who are the main local/regional project actors?

The Region FVG, the Municipalities, the Mountain Community and the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Udine.


The case is isolated or integrated within a broader frame/ programme of activities? How? How are these activities being financed?

The project, somehow, also wants to restore the already existing studies and plans for territorial recovery that have, so far, been carried out in a fragmentary manner. In this sense, it can be included in a more general activity of integration of territorial planning envisaged by the Regional Development Plan. Furthermore, in prospective, it should integrate with the Town Plan of the Municipalities.

Financing the above-mentioned activities is included in the budget forecasts of the competent public bodies (Region, Municipality, Mountain Communities).


Timetable for the project development (July 2004 - May 2006)
  • Starting the project by June 2004 by entrusting the study to the University of Udine;
  • delivering the preliminary analysis by February 2005;
  • carrying out the model project/s and the project financing by March 2006;
  • presentating the project results at a regional and local level by May 2006.

This timetable will, obviously, be correlated to the general one of the AlpCity project.


Total cost for the case (Euros)

Euros 50,000.


Are experts (non SSC) involved into the case and research activities undertaken for the case? What is their role?

The researchers of the University of Udine are responsible for carrying out the study and planning activities.






e-mail: alpcity@regione.piemonte.it