Municipal Regulation for the Care and Reconversion of Public Green Areas

Green open spaces can provide one of the few remaining opportunities for social cohesion in cities characterized by increasing pockets of exclusion and social fragmentation. Green spaces are non-judgemental, accessible, cool, pleasant and inter-generational.
A key reason for the Regulation is to strengthen the fragile relationship between citizens and public institutions by building on, and encouraging, the recent experience of active citizenship that is starting to flourish from the grassroots.
Secondly, in the context of scarce resources, the Regulation creates a positive externality by helping the local administration better manage green spaces maintenance through citizen participation.
The activities range from the requalification of green areas through simple maintenance to more structured reconversion activities. Other activities include the establishment of public and common kitchen gardens.
An agreement to outline the aims and objectives, including subsidiarity, shared responsibilities and constraints is signed by the municipality and by voluntary groups, associations or single citizens that are interested in taking care of a green area that they visit regularly.