Rome and the Intermediate Territories: The Connective Ability of the Green Areas

Abstract

Today urban fringes represent the reversal of the traditional relationship between the city and the surrounding area than in the past. They can be considered as one of the paradigmatic changes in the relationships between the components of the landscape. Among them there are the physical, as the social, political, economic, cultural ones.In observing the cityscape, however, we can realize how many open areas are no longer able to maintain their original agricultural functions. A lot of them have become abandoned areas waiting for future urbanization where urban and rural conditions co-exist side by side without any dialogue.Dealing with this state of things, the paper suggests some planning guidelines in terms of approaches and methods, focusing on how the urban fringes can become the place where interweave a fruitful dialogue between city and country. The aim is to bring out novel considerations regarding the components of the open territory and their relationship.Town planning shows some delay in handling dynamics affecting urban fringes. However, more and more new urban agriculture initiatives spread out by inhabitants who recognize the potential of such as areas in terms of farm income and valuable resources.Recent experiences show that the recovery of the agricultural function, especially in urban and peri-urban area, can help to combat the consumption of soil and the spread of urbanization. Urban farming can also redevelop and improve the quality of open spaces, promoting new forms of solidarity economy, creating new employment, generating wide spread active citizenship behaviours and care of the land.