Cesena Tackles Historic Center Decline with New Urban Hub and Regional Funding

The city of Cesena, Italy, is addressing the growing issue of shop closures and economic decline in its historic center through a new urban hub initiative and bolstered regional funding. The effort aims to proactively manage the transformations impacting local trade, rather than simply reacting to crises.

The Challenge: A Bleeding Historic Center

Cesena’s historic center is experiencing a concerning trend of businesses closing, prompting local authorities to recognize the issue as a political and administrative problem, extending beyond individual business concerns. This decline is attributed to factors such as digitalization, evolving consumer habits, the rise of large online platforms, increasing energy costs, and supply chain vulnerabilities.

The Urban Hub Initiative

A key component of Cesena’s response is the establishment of an urban hub within the city center. This hub will facilitate interventions, including the illumination of porticoes, with work scheduled to begin by July. The initiative seeks to revitalize the area and provide support for local businesses.

Regional Support and Funding

Lorenzo Plumari, the Councilor for Economic Development, Participation, and Neighborhoods for the Municipality of Cesena, participated in the inaugural Forum on Urban Economy, hosted by the Emilia-Romagna Region. The forum served as a platform to assess the experiences of urban and proximity hubs and explore the future of local trade. During the event, a new €10 million tender was announced to support the trade sector, which officials described as “one of the strategic assets of our economy.”

A Proactive Approach to Economic Change

Plumari emphasized a shift towards proactive governance of economic transformations. “For the first time – remarked Plumari – the institutions are trying to govern the transformations instead of intervening only after the crises.” He highlighted the need to address the risk of emptying historic centers, acknowledging the coexistence of thriving, innovative businesses alongside those facing structural difficulties.

Strategies for Revitalization

Cesena’s strategies focus on three key areas:

• Neighborhood Trade as Urban Infrastructure: Recognizing local trade as a vital urban service, providing social protection, and enhancing safety.
• Integrated Urban Economy: Integrating economic development with improvements in mobility, parking, accessibility, public space quality, safety, and housing policies.
• Collaborative Alliances: Fostering collaboration between public entities, business associations, entrepreneurs, and property owners to revitalize historic centers.

Funding and Future Challenges

While the regional tender of €14 million is seen as a positive step, Plumari stressed the importance of effectively allocating these resources. The success of the urban hub initiative hinges on its implementation and avoiding becoming merely a symbolic gesture.

Key Contacts

• Lorenzo Plumari: Councilor for Economic Development, Participation, and Neighborhoods
• Phone: +334 1445636, Secretariat: +0547 356883
• Email: lorenzoplumari@comune.cesena.fc.it

Source: Comune di Cesena – Lorenzo Plumari