«The redevelopment of Prandina? A missed opportunity»: Orizzonti attacks the Municipality

"In recent months, the Municipality of Padua has launched a series of initiatives for the recovery of the area of ​​the former Prandina barracks and the stretch of Renaissance walls that borders it. Among the most recent measures are a request for regional funding of over 2 million euros for the restoration of the walls between Porta Savonarola and Barriera San Prosdocimo, another request addressed to the State for the recovery of three buildings inside the park, and a municipal plan for the demolition of non-restricted buildings, accompanied by the design of a large parking lot entrusted to Aps Holding": the note from the political movement Orizzonti - Il futuro insieme regarding the future of the Prandina Park begins with a sort of "chronology".

Orizzonti's attack starts here: «Strong criticism emerges on the lack of an organic and integrated vision of the overall project. The master plan presented by the Municipality in 2023, rather than representing a starting point for an international design competition as hoped for by many city associations, has in fact been adopted as an almost definitive reference. The result is a project judged to be lacking in ideas and lacking a real identity, with ordinary green spaces, minimal structures and standardized solutions. The images distributed, although graphically effective, cannot hide the banality of the design system. Also worrying is the absence of fundamental elements such as the large parking lot in the illustrative material, the indiscriminate demolition of buildings potentially useful for social and cultural functions, and the underestimation of the environmental and urban impact, in particular in relation to traffic on Corso Milano. In short, there is fear that the opportunity to transform the former Prandina into a real urban attraction pole will be wasted. We therefore hope for a rethink in the executive phase, which reduces the surface area intended for parking, enhances some existing buildings and opens up to a more creative, flexible and participatory design, capable of combining urban quality, sustainability and cultural vocation".