Official presentation of the Masterplan of Savona's waterfront and signing ceremony for the preliminary funding of 20 million euros.
The large-scale redevelopment of the waterfront and the close collaboration sealed between local and central government bodies to guarantee the sustainable development of the City and the Port of Savona were centre-stage at the event "Port-City Alliance Transforms the Coastline Eastwards of Savona", hosted at the Priamar Fortress, with the participation of the Italian Vice-Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Edoardo Rixi, the President of the Liguria Region Giovanni Toti, the Mayor of Savona Marco Russo, the Mayor of Albissola Marina Gianluca Nasuti, the Government Commissioner of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority Paolo Piacenza, the CEO of ASPI Roberto Tomasi and the Government Commissioner of the Aurelia-bis Bypass Matteo Castiglioni.
In the opening address, the Mayor Marco Russo and the Port Government Commissioner Piacenza introduced the roadmap which has led the way towards the publication of a visionary Masterplan designed to transform the waterfront eastwards from the Tower of Savona to the Artists' Promenande of Albissola Marina, with the capacity to emerge forcefully as a new vibrant urban space, dedicated to both residents and tourists alike, and achieve a successful integration with existing port services. In fact, the new urban activities contained in the Waterfront Masterplan align harmoniously with the port functions outlined in the new Port of Savona-Vado Ligure Masterplan to be implemented by the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority.
The Architecture Firm One Works, across the presentation of the architects Ana Paez and Francesco Vitetta, illustrated the details of the ambitious project and highlighted the general concept behind the Masterplan: to guarantee the well-being of all those who will use the new waterfront. The new plans, divided in 5 subsections, foresee the restructuring of the cycle-pedestrian promenade, in conjunction with the redevelopment of the marina and the common user urban spaces, including the creation of a new carpark to serve the port road links under construction and, consequently, ease congestion in Savona and Albissola Marina.
The presentation was followed by the Signing Ceremony of the Memorandum of Agreement, under the aegis of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, between the Liguria Region, Port Authority and ASPI (Autostrade per l'Italia) which earmarks 20 million euros to upgrade road links with the Port of Savona to improve accessibility. In addition, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Liguria Region, Port Authority, ASPI, ANAS (Azienda Nazionale Autonoma delle Strade) and the local government authorities signed an "Agreement for the Accessibility and the Redevelopment of the Savona East Waterfront", with specific reference to the redevelopment of the coastline between the Old Port in Savona and the Artists' Promenade in Albissola, in compliance with the objectives of the Masterplan.
