Studi per un patrimonio accessibile: le Strade Nuove e il sistema dei Palazzi dei Rolli a Genova.

In 2006, part of Genoa’s old town entered the UNESCO World Heritage list, counting 42 palaces, 5 main streets and 4 squares. The urban fabric has a multilayered, medieval lay-out, the interest of which lies partly in the building density, significant differences in elevation and the homogeneity of the surfaces. What makes this old town unique and worthy of the highest cultural recognition is also the very reason why it is not accessible to parts of the general public and visitors. The municipality of Genoa, with the collaboration of the University, is studying hard at how to improve accessibility to the old town, which is now difficult to reach, with access often being denied. Drafting the Plan for the Elimination of Architectural Barriers (P.E.B.A.), therefore, presents a challenge for the city and the administration. About 300 buildings in the UNESCO site and the adjacent urban spaces are currently the object of study in order to discover what potential and criticalities can arise from an ever broader fruition. This knowledge base will be the first step in a larger work, to cover the entire old town, and of which the project that the municipality of Genoa is undertaking, is a part; the objective is to promote citizens’ autonomy and create an inclusive design.