Ferrara

Ferrara (Italy) is a medium-sized city located between Bologna and Venice, along the Po river, with an overall population of 130,000 distributed over an area of 400 km2. 

The focus of Ferrara’s pilot is related to the following three European Green Deal priority actions: climate change, zero pollution, and biodiversity. The needs addressed by the Municipality of Ferrara are related to the lack of high-quality integrated data for climate and air policies at the local level. 

In 2019 Ferrara approved the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP); the Municipality of Ferrara plans to expand and improve urban greenery with the direct engagement of citizens: in 2021, a new municipal contract for the operational management of urban greenery will be defined thanks to a participatory process, involving local environmental associations. 

The Municipality of Ferrara is committed to increasing the urban forest, expanding green spaces, de-paving squares, car parks, and playgrounds to ensure good soil permeability, and equipping public buildings with green facades/roofs. 

Results expected from USAGE:

A successful demonstrator with an advanced monitoring system on heat island impacts and heavy flash flooding events, with the active engagement of citizens, high schools and other local stakeholders in Citizen Science initiatives.