Valledolmo: regenerating the urban landscape. a new system of public spaces along via Vittorio Emanuele III
Description
Year of completion: 2025 – ongoing
A new system of public spaces along via Vittorio Emanuele III
The client of the project is the Municipality of Valledolmo, a small town in the Metropolitan City of Palermo located at the foot of the Madonie mountains, characterised by a strongly agricultural identity. The small population size and the rural character of the municipality make Valledolmo an ideal context for territorial regeneration initiatives and projects related to sustainable agriculture.
Piazza del Bevaio is set in a hilly landscape typical of the Sicilian hinterland and the Madonie agrarian landscape. The square is located in a slightly sloping area, in an intermediate position between the historic centre and the peripheral zones, visually connected to the hillside and the local hydrographic system (including the Sciarazzi stream). The municipal administration has adopted an approach oriented towards innovation, economic development, environmental sustainability and active community participation.
Why the project was born
Valledolmo: regenerating the urban landscape
• A new system of public spaces along via Vittorio Emanuele III
INSULÆ's project for the Municipality of Valledolmo was born with a clear objective: to mend the urban fabric and restore quality, safety and beauty to the places of everyday life.
Via Vittorio Emanuele III crosses a sequence of spaces of great community value — Piazza del Bevaio, Nicholas Green Park, the linear garden and the Park of Remembrance. Today these places are close but separated by traffic and discontinuous paths.
The project reconnects them into a continuous and accessible system through the creation of a raised pedestrian crossing and a speed bump in a residential zone with a speed limit of 30 km/h, accompanied by coloured pavements and visual signage to encourage vehicles to slow down, transforming it into a place designed for children, families and pedestrians.
Project Solution
The Administration's request led to further enrichment of the project with:
- water features integrated into the floor under the pergola, designed to create interaction and fun during summer hours;
- LED grazing lighting system integrated into the pavement;
- enhancement of the circular fountain with new jets and dynamic lighting;
- control systems to reduce water and energy waste.
A green infrastructure for the city
The project is part of a broader strategy: connecting the public spaces of Valledolmo with the Sciarazzi stream, destined for renaturalisation.
Pedestrian paths, tree-lined avenues and permeable surfaces can constitute an urban ecological infrastructure capable of improving the microclimate, biodiversity and quality of life.
A participatory regeneration
The intervention represents a replicable model for small Sicilian towns.
A vision that combines safety, sustainability and identity to give the community more liveable, welcoming and contemporary spaces.
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Un nuovo sistema di spazi pubblici lungo via Vittorio Emanuele III
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Un nuovo sistema di spazi pubblici lungo via Vittorio Emanuele III
