A new proposal for a strategic and resilient regeneration plan for seaside waterfronts. An Adriatic case: Riccione

Affected by the increasing violence of the effects of climate change and the neglected awareness of unavoidable sustainable planning, the border areas between sea and land face recurring emergencies and worsening natural risks. That special environment along the coastline, sometimes still enveloped by wilderness, sometimes strongly marked by urbanisation, is threatened by the sea level increasing and the progressive coastal erosion with irreversible injuries. Consequently, several different and innovative strategies must be arranged to compensate for the effects of change and ensure a future for these territories. The case study concerns Riccione, an Adriatic city and a seaside resort, which presents an easily recognizable and remarkable typological model for urban structure, consolidated economic organisation, social relationships, and an appreciable balance between people needs and the natural resources. In this context, the research attempts to propose a new territorial strategy to innovate the regeneration process based on new resilience conditions. The approach suggests local actions at the local level (planning and traditional procedures and innovative interventions aimed at a spatial-functional requalification of the whole waterfront system), but also at the territorial level (embedding urban elements and natural coastal components, economic issues and environmental needs).