Rome's mayor demands action on planning gridlock

Rome's mayor Walter Veltroni has called for a new regulatory system to allow Italian cities to better adjust to the demands of modern life. Speaking
during the opening of the Expo Italia Real Estate fair in Milan, he noted that For the first time ever urban areas are home to more than half of the global population. Rome registered an increase of 150,000 inhabitants over the last five years, though this figure only takes into account immigrants who are registered with the city authorities.

'Cities have to cope today with a new social problem,' the mayor said. Increasing urban immigration, coupled with longer life expectancy and an increase in single-person housing has created new demands on housing, public spaces and infrastructure. The city of Rome tried to deal with the need for more public spaces by regenerating the former Mattatoio (slaughterhouse) area at Testaccio. This disused space has ecently been transformed into an art centre. At the same time, the former Mercati Generali space was converted into a new sport and leisure centre.

Veltroni blamed the Italian system of decentralised powers for the ineffective way in which urban issues are dealt with in the country. 'Everybody has very little power, but always the power to say 'no'', Veltroni noted. 'The introduction of a roundabout - just a roundabout - in the city, needs to be discussed with ten to fifteen parties', Veltroni said. 'This system encourages corruption, because there are too many steps. We need to replace this Italian jam of power, where everybody has his hands in, with a more linear, transparent system. Everybody should know who is responsible and therefore who is to blame for something', Veltroni said.

Veltroni called for Fausto Bertinotti, chair of Italy’s Parliament, to address the planning issue. 'We need legislation to reform this system and enable the Italian cities to be internationally competitive', he said. Veltroni believes that the only way metropolis could remain liveable today is setting up several centres all connected together. ‘We have approved a new urban regulatory plan that will introduces 19 different centres in the Italian capital with an estimated investment of EUR 40 bn.

The profile of cities could also be raised by addressing the environmental issue. 'The quality of the air has reached an alarming level', Veltroni said. 'We all have to try to discourage the use of cars by offering more public transportation', Veltroni told his colleagues Massimo Cacciari, mayor of Venice, Filippo Penati, president of Milan’s province and Roberto Formigoni, president of Italy’s Lombardia region. 'A subway is probably the best solution, even though this is constrained in Rome. Every time we dig into the ground to build a new subway station, we find a Roman grave or something else'.