Dynamic vulcanism and rich cultural heritage are the two most prominent forces shaping the coastal landscape of the Phlegraean Fields. This dramatic setting provided the location for the CO-LAND Inclusive Coastal Landscapes Intensive Study Programme held at Pozzuoli, Italy the 8th – 17th of September 2019. ISOCARP is one of nine partner institutions participating in COLAND, an ERASMUS+ Programme of the European Union.
The Phlegrean Fields, still an active volcanic caldera, is a large and now urbanized 78 km2 area lying just to the west of Naples. The locale has seen rapid growth during the last century, with a contemporary population of around 400,000 people and seven municipalities now absorbed into the larger Naples metropolitan conurbation. The area has one of the largest concentrations of cultural heritage sites in Italy dating back to the period of Greek colonization (500 bc). It is home to diverse land and sea habitats, many of which are recognized by Natura 2000 for their high-value ecological importance.
For centuries, the population concentrated in compact coastal villages such as Pozzuoli and Baia with a close relationship to the sea. However, with the advent of new infrastructure such as a railway and later the automobile, an explosion of human settlement, much of it unplanned and informal, began to overlay this dramatic landscape. Despite the underlying volcanic risks, the Phlegrean Fields have remained highly desirable for residence and seaside recreation. More recent times have seen the abandonment of waterfront industrial sites, and many of the historical landmarks and natural features have become threatened by the growing urban sprawl. The underlying ecosystem has become increasingly fragmented and degraded.
Over the eight days of the ISP, 40 students, 20 tutors and I as ISOCARP’s representative gathered to study this complex coastal landscape and tour the Phlegraean Fields to gain firsthand observations. We heard lectures on the region’s spatial planning challenges, aspects of volcanism, coastal erosion, cultural heritage and meet with local stakeholders to discuss their most pressing issues. The goal of the workshop was for six student groups, working on distinct geographic areas, to apply a holistic landscape assessment framework, identifying key issues and ultimately proposing green/blue infrastructure strategies to improve connectivity and the multifunctionality of the fragmented landscape.
Each group began with an overriding theme such as “focus on post-industrial seascape” or “focus on volcanism and naturalistic tourism”, that they could freely interpret. The students initially focused on turning their impressions into analysis identifying critical issues and conflicts, assets and opportunities, their vision and goals for the area. Awareness of linkages and cross-connections with the other group areas and themes was stressed. Given the short timeframe, students were encouraged to express their ideas through hand sketches, image collages, keywords, and phrases. Lastly, they were to consider implementation, phasing and governance models in realizing their concepts.
Many important ideas emerged from group work. The dual benefits of improving the connectivity to natural resource assets and cultural heritage monuments as a solution to overcoming physical barriers presented by both hard infrastructure and privatization. The need to improve overall environmental quality and the condition of degraded landmarks as a means of education and creating greater public awareness. The importance of reinvigorating derelict rural and urban properties through socially inclusive reinvestment, taking advantage of new economic drivers such as agro and eco-tourism. The need to capitalize on the diversity of local civic actors in shaping their surroundings through community participation in any redevelopment efforts going forward. There were several opportunities for the groups to present their work for feedback and comment, including an early analysis and visioning session. Two final presentations, one internally to the CoLand Partners and the other to the invited stakeholders and public, provided a culmination to the workshop. The positive reaction from these presentations confirmed the importance and value of the CoLand ISP workshop in helping to provide a vision for a more sustainable and inclusive coastal landscape within the Phlegrean Fields.
[foogallery id=”39123″]The results of the workshop will be incorporated into a guidance report to be published by CO-LAND as an open educational resource intended to support higher-education teachers in adopting innovative approaches to integrated planning and design for coastal landscapes. For more information, visit https://www.coland.eu/.
By John Echlin
John Echlin is an architect, urban designer and urban planner with key expertise in coastal waterfront planning, urban redevelopment, and land-water access plans among others. John is an ISOCARP member and he has supported this Co-Land ISP as an external reviewer.