Landscape Architecture
Frank van Zuilekom Jammo Já Val Bisagno - Genova
Genoa is a historic city in the north of Italy and is well known for its role in several wars, pesto and, of course, Christopher Columbus. The city’s strategic location and morphology caused the city to develop naturally between the Apennines and the coast of Liguria. The underlying landscape and the climate contributed to an elongated, but very compact city, which manifests itself to the coast. The old city centre of Genoa, Centro Storico, is in its scale comparable to the ring of canals of Amsterdam, but it is far denser. Space is limited as a result of the underlying relief and the increase in infrastructure. This has caused a decrease in quality of life, predominantly in the central area around the port and the old centre. The port has played a pivotal role since the earliest history of the city. The city’s growth ran parallel to that of the port and with time the port and the city grew together. These developments caused the last open spaces within the city limits to be filled with infrastructure. Concept Lack of space and the subsequent water issues are not unique to Genoa. The issues at the scale of the coast of Liguria, the city, districts and the inhabitants require an integral approach. The valleys drain the water from the mountains with a rise in the months of October and November. In the current situation, the valley is regularly flooded during these two months and is ‘dry’ during the other months. The idea is to give the valley another function during these ten other months. By accommodating the peaks of October and November during the other months, a more constant stream of water can be established. In this way, the valleys will be safer and the large open spaces can be used for city life, recreation, relaxation, exercise etc. Transforming the valley and making it accessible and greener will improve the quality of life in the city. The transformation of the 22 valleys that Genoa had or has, naturally creates 22 connections to the coast of Liguria and/or the Apennines.
Graduation date 02 07 2014
194
Commission members Hanneke Kijne (mentor) Roberto Cavallo Han Dijk
Additional members for the examination Rik de Visser Jana Crepon