During our visit to Cervia, we talked to Manuel Passaglia, a technician of the Municipality of Cervia, who is responsible for transforming the Premi-Nobel Square.
He told us that the renovation of this public square in the City of Cervia had been used to adapt this urban space to new climate impacts, ensuring it would be liveable and attractive for our citizens throughout all seasons.
During the works, the old pavement was removed and substituted with water-absorbing concrete. Furthermore, he told us as soon as ground work will be finished, trees of different types will be planted and rain gardens created, so that the square will have a permeable surface in all its parts. The paving of the new square will allow rainwater to enter the ground rather than flooding streets and the sewage system, so it will store water to feed the plants and trees around the square. The hard surfaces of the square are needed for public events, which are traditionally held on this square, Passaglia explained. Choosing a light colour for these surfaces will help keep the surface cooler than a darker surface would do, and also, the trees to be planted will provide shade and have a cooling effect.
In this way, Passaglia continued, several impacts related to climate change will be addressed: in its new shape, the square will help managing the effects of intense rainfall, provide shade during heat waves and, thanks to the water permeating into the soil it will contribute reducing the impact of salt-water intrusion.