Parco del Valentino, Depaving and Reconnecting People with Nature

Yesterday, 2 October, was an inspiring day in Turin as LAND gathered, invited by association Urban Lab, with local partners and in the presence of Mayor Stefano Lo Russo and Councilor Francesco Tresso to unveil the future of Parco del Valentino, a project that underscores the importance of designing with nature to enhance climate resilience and create new identity spaces for citizens. This beloved park, a historic landmark at the heart of Turin, is undergoing a comprehensive transformation to reimagine the relationship between urban spaces and the natural environment.

Site visit at Parco Valentino with Andreas Kipar and part of the team.

During a site visit led by SRP Davide Ceraso, Andreas Kipar explained the importance of “an environment where nature comes into contact with us”. Speaking on the importance of this transformation, he remarked,“If nature breathes, we also breathe: the change, however, starts in the head, not just in the architecture. It is our well-being. It is not just design: this transformation is indispensable to life.”

Masterplan of Parco Valentino, Turin. Image by LAND

The project at Parco del Valentino, financed with PNRR funds, goes beyond beautifying an already cherished green space. By removing barriers and integrating more connective elements, the park will bring residents and visitors closer to the Po River, making the ecosystem services of this increasingly accessible natural space visible and tangible. These enhancements foster climate mitigation and collective well-being, transforming the park into a critical urban buffer zone that will help manage flooding and reduce heat island effects, making the city more resilient to climate change.

Next month, the first part of the new pedestrian walkways will be opened to the public, in the section from the Latteria Svizzera, past the Botanical Garden and the Castle, to Villa Glicini.