Redeveloping urban outskirts means giving degraded areas a second life, for the community. It was with that goal in mind that the Municipality of Bitetto, in Apulia, invested in the redevelopment of areas lacking facilities for services and community socialization, especially for children and senior citizens.
The project targeted an old skating rink, car park and mini-football pitch to transform the abandoned facilities into a new playground for kids of all ages and an adjacent pedestrian mall, featuring public bike racks and a kiosk, all framed by greenery. In addition, the old football pitch was resurfaced with artificial turf to create a new sports facility and a cycle path was created to promote sustainable mobility, connecting this corner of the town with other urban areas and panoramic points around Bitetto.
Over the last four years, around 130 loans have been provided across the country for a total of 176 million euro of funding, to make a concrete contribution to giving urban areas a second life and promoting social inclusion.