Ravenna Maritime Park

The master plan of the Ravenna Maritime Park aims to recover and enhance the typical natural pine forest-dune-coast system, making it accessible to the local and tourist community. From the end of the 19th century to the economic boom of 1950, the territory, once characterized by wetlands, coastal pine forests and dune cords, saw the transformation of natural areas into reclaimed land for agricultural purposes and a gradual intensification of urbanization. The economic and social changes and the development of mass tourism have influenced the Romagna coastal strip in particular, limiting the wooded and sandy areas in favor of new seaside resorts, anthropizing the coast and compromising its naturalness. Before the start of the construction site, the project area appeared as a forgotten and degraded "back" with massive waterproofed areas used as parking, without any cycle-pedestrian connection or connection to the pine forest or coastal system. The intervention on the Ravenna coast, given the inestimable naturalistic value and the notable territorial extension (35km of coast and pine forest behind it), thanks to a complex of actions aimed at regeneration, protection and environmental management, highlights the beauty of a protagonist that is perceived as new: the existing landscape.

The project idea is based on the four principles of “Reveal”, “Repair”, “Amplify” and “Promote”. “Reveal” means offering, in addition to the beach, a double view, immediate and close, which relates the sea, the wetlands, the river mouths and the countryside, with the tourism enhancement initiatives envisaged by the municipal territory development plan. “Repair” means regenerating the balance interrupted in some parts of the coastal territory in the relationship between beach, dune and pine forest, re-establishing a relationship of natural balance. “Amplify” the potential of the territory, offering the visitor a new and surprising landscape, made up of various environments each with peculiar characteristics. “Promote” means maintaining quality tourism throughout the year, through a system of routes that allow the connection and enjoyment of the coastal landscapes, offering opportunities for new activities that relate to the valleys and the countryside.

The construction of the work guarantees a minimum environmental impact, thanks to timely and targeted interventions to promote spontaneous redevelopment and maintain the function of ecological corridor of the dunes and pine forest. The use of natural materials such as wood, stabilized earth, grassy gravel and sand, available at km0 from the coast itself, allows to reduce costs and times in addition to being eco-friendly, 100% recyclable and to guarantee a natural appearance that does not alter or contrast with the environment.