Il risanamento a Messina. Limiti, resistenze e prospettive dell'innovazione urbanistica nelle città del Mezzogiorno

A “special” law by Sicily Regional Government in 1990 assured to the Municipality of Messina tools and funds for an strong intervention of urban regeneration in its outskirts. The first goal of the law was the removal of the “shacks” build-up after the earthquake 1908, therefore the revitalization and urban renewal of some social housing estates developed since the ’20es and ’30es and today affected by decay, social disease and economic uneasiness. Drawing up the Recovery Plans as outlined by law, the Municipality of Messina attempted also to improve public facilities and infrastructures for a comprehensive urban regeneration and contrast a progressive degeneration of the whole city. Due to technical and legislative limits, the invention started up in 2004, after new regional government prescriptions and it represents a very interesting case of urban regeneration even though it has to face a general economic decline, administrative conflicts and some mismatching with the Municipal Master Plan and the projects and programmes in progress for the city development. Most of all, the intervention suffer for a general lack of any integration with social policies, of people participation, lack of technological innovation in building activities, which still represent typical features of Southern Italy cities.