The Park – A Model of Ecological Infrastructure and Urban Regeneration

The Park is the result of a reconversion of the former Vicenza airport, located adjacent to a military base, and spans an area of 65 hectares. It represents a major urban regeneration initiative developed in close synergy with Nature, aimed at designing a joyful “ecological machine” capable of delivering ecosystem services at both urban and territorial scales. It features a beautiful innovative integration of engineering, environment, culture, and sociality, offering visitors a multidimensional experience of contemplation, interaction, and understanding of natural processes within an urban setting.

A Paradigm of the Park of the Future

Designed with advanced sustainable strategies, the park aspires to become a model for future urban parks, capable of actively managing and mitigating the impacts of climate change through nature-based solutions.

The Shape of Water – Green Infrastructure and Natural Hydraulics

Starting from a completely flat topography, over 240,000 cubic meters of soil were excavated to shape a network of canals and lakes with a geometric, linear layout reminiscent of the rural landscape of Vicenza. Water is naturally fed by a very shallow aquifer and managed through simple natural barriers that create small cascades and a drainage fountain, inspired by traditional water management systems typical of lowland agricultural regions. Excavation works revealed geological stratifications—gravel layers, multi-colored clays, ancient beaches—as well as archaeological finds including a Roman workshop and a Neolithic site, which have been carefully documented.

The excavated material was reused to create substantial embankments, reaching heights of up to 8 meters, shaping a new and dynamic landscape. The water system—extending over 9 kilometers, including lakes and floodable wetlands—covers an area of 70,000 square meters and was designed as a flood mitigation infrastructure. The entire park functions as a large detention basin, capable of temporarily storing and slowly releasing up to 100,000 cubic meters of water, thus offering a resilient response to 50-year flood events. This strategic and nature-based approach, the first of its kind applied to a large-scale public urban park in Italy, proposes an alternative to exclusively mechanized flood control systems.

Biodiversity – Creating Habitats and Ecotones

The water bodies generate extensive ecotonal zones, which serve as transition areas between ecosystems and are rich in habitat diversity. Native fauna quickly recolonized the site, with an increasing presence not only of aquatic bird species but also of amphibians, fish, mollusks, arthropods, insects, and small mammals. A diverse and layered planting strategy ensures the creation of complex ecological niches. Tree planting includes regular and irregular alignments, scattered groups, and reforestation areas that define perspectives at different scales.

A total of 12.5 hectares is dedicated to hygrophilous and mesophilous forest areas, whose design is based on an agroforestry study closely tied to the site’s hydrological conditions, as determined by soil movements. The planting system has experimental value, combining forestry plantation techniques with natural colonization processes. Forested zones are marked by red or natural chestnut posts, each equipped with interpretive signage identifying species and habitats—temporary elements that will evolve as the landscape matures.

The park also features two butterfly gardens, planted with flowering and fruit-bearing species to support pollinators. Meadow areas, totaling 36 hectares, are divided into public-use mown lawns, tall flowering meadows managed through differentiated mowing regimes, and a “wild meadow” planted with spelt along the edge of the military base. A total of 62,000 aquatic plants were introduced into the wetlands and along canals and lakes. The wet meadows, low-lying areas at water level, are visually striking and ecologically rich environments—now rare in the lowlands—and host species that had previously disappeared from the region.

All trees, aquatic plants, and seeds were sourced from local specialized nurseries, and large trees were grown in air-pot containers under long-term contracts. A wide “wilderness area” has also been set aside for natural development with no human intervention

Social and Cultural Integration

The park includes generous spaces for a variety of permanent and temporary functions, positioning itself as a place for leisure, sports, walking, music, social life, cultural events, education, and the promotion of peace. The main entrance, or “East Gate”, is a large covered square created by repurposing a former airport hangar. It serves as a flexible space for events and includes refreshment and reception areas. Around it, several former airport buildings have been turned into a museum dedicated to aviation, a multipurpose venue, a Park House for operations and administration, and spaces for local associations.

At the heart of the park, a formal garden (to be built) will be dedicated to children’s play and the commemoration of Peace. Expansive lawns and paved plazas host recreational activities such as model aircraft flying, kite flying, skating, and events, as well as sports facilities including courts and fields for basketball, volleyball, soccer, and rugby. The former runway has been repurposed for large-scale events, while part of the canal system—the “Kilometro” canal—is suitable for canoeing.

A network of over 8 kilometres of paths, including main and secondary routes, footbridges, and fords, provides diversified access: from areas for active public use to quieter areas dedicated to nature observation and contemplation. The park includes ample internal parking and is connected to the municipal cycling network, ensuring accessibility and sustainable mobility.

Data

All landscape architecture offices involved in the design:

• PAN ASSOCIATI SRL– Italy (Benedetto Selleri, Gaetano Selleri, Giovanni Sanesi)
• EMF Estudi Martì Franch – Spain,
• Franco Zagari – Italy

Architecture: ITS Engineering Company –  Italy (Giustino Moro, Andrea De Pin)

External consultants:

• Riccardo Gini, Victor Tenez, Massimo Venturi Ferriolo)
• Aspro studio (C. Bertorelli, arch. F. Dal Toso)

Associates Pan Associati : Gwenaelle Charrier, Davide Bossi

Associates EMF: Héloïse Bouju, Miriam Díaz

Published on July 8, 2025