Pop Up Ticino

PARTICIPANTS:

Diana Ciufo (IT), Aster Sittoni (IT), Gianmario Rovida (IT), Runner-up in Assen (NL) with "Urban Nature"
Jeroen van Poppel (NL), Winner in Kaiserslautern (DE) with "Pattern for Progress"
Ana Quintana Zazurca (ES), Giorgia Sgarbossa (IT), Winner in Kaufbeuren (DE) with "Fasten Your Seat Belt!"
Joost van Rooijen (NL), Redmer Weijer (NL), Runner-up in Schiedam (NL) with "A New Start with Old Genes"

Coach: Stéphane Bonzani (FR)
Assistant: Elena Romano (IT)

SITE 3 - SHARING THE TICINO RIVER: SPORTS AND LEISURE
The Ticino River South of the historical centre of Pavia is meant to play a new role in the urban development of the city. Still, a certain number of obstacles prevent its integration in the city’s projects – particularly the risks of floods that have obliged the inhabitants of Pavia, from the foundation of the city until now, to build a very strong physical barrier (the fortifications) as well as a mental one between their territory and the river’s. The city of Pavia is better known for its historical heritage and its university than for its links with the Ticino. Besides, the district located South of the river is still regularly under water, as it is less protected than the city centre up North. All this contributes to hide the potentialities of the Ticino.
Today, Pavia wishes to turn towards this natural element that played a major role in its development without ever acquiring the importance it deserves. Some already use the banks for water or recreational activities and events are also sometimes organised, demonstrating a certain interest for this space. But the city wants to go further and this is precisely the issue of this workshop: exploring scenarios able to reinvent strong links between the city and the river. The question of sharing this potentially rich milieu lies at the heart of the investigations.

Pop Up Ticino

Download the PDF here

The team identified all the activities present in the city, important events and the citizens’ various itineraries. The goal is to redraw the river on the inhabitants’ “mental map” and the team therefore proposes to reprogram the banks relocating on those the main event activities currently spread around the whole city. Musical or sporting events as well as bars and restaurants are therefore invited to invest the relatively desert spaces along the water. This reprogramming reveals thematic hotspots around food or sports in link with the university, which is quite visible in Pavia. Attention is paid to the adaptability of the places: existing structures can be rehabilitated to host new uses or remain open for future uses.
This reprogramming scenario was thought as a “starter” to modify the short-, middle- and long-term visions of the Ticino River. The presence of activities should progressively add value to the territory and open up development possibilities, which are currently quite limited. On the short term, the goal is to set up an original water and natural territory at the heart of Pavia, which might later on attract some investors interested by the place. The idea is also to reintegrate the Ticino River in a vision on a large scale, particularly improving the walking and cycling tracks.

Download the PDF here

See other projects on the same site:

See the other sites:

- Creating an Inter-Campus Dynamic Axis
- Naviglio: A Chance of Coexistence Between Students and Citizens