Park of Joy

In Rome, in the Magliana area, in the area delimited by Via dei Grottoni and Via Alberto Mancini, today there is an urban void, forgotten by the municipal administration and not used by residents. A vast area with great potential that the Égalité Association has decided to enhance, design and equip. The Association with headquarters in Rome and offices in Genoa, Dakar, Brussels and Frankfurt, has been dedicated for years to cultural and architectural barriers, social inclusion and the Sustainable Development Goals in the UN Agenda 2030. Thus was born the “Parco della Gioia”, the first inclusive urban park with renewable energy. The project entrusted to the Roman architect Giancarlo Zema, known for his eco-sustainable creations in collaboration with Paulownia4Planet, aims to be a pilot project, a sort of urban regeneration manifesto for all those difficult and peripheral city realities to eliminate inequalities, mend territories and give joy to citizens large and small. The idea is to create a green lung of the neighborhood, planting a forest of Paulownia, the plant that absorbs the most CO2 in the world, about ten times more than ordinary trees, create paths for the disabled, inclusive play areas, botanical gardens, eco workshops and an open-air theater. All self-powered by photovoltaic panels anchored to the railway noise barrier, design wind turbines and off-grid photovoltaic lighting, thanks to the installation of a series of sculptural smart street furniture elements: lanterns, four-leaf clovers and tulips for a total of 80kWp. The only possible future for our cities will be to pursue eco-sustainability, starting right from the suburbs, the Parco della Gioia della Magliana, which will be the real redemption of the Roman suburbs.