SUSTAINABLE REUSE OF DISUSED RAILWAY

Railways, an infrastructure system consisting of ‘railway lines’, tunnels, toll booths and stations, are considered ‘abandoned’ when, for various reasons, any regular service of railway type is suspended. About 2 thousand kilometers of lines no longer active railways exist in our Italian territory, in most cases abandoned to decay. European and international examples of redevelopment of these derelict structures in bicycle lanes or otherwise dedicated to sustainable mobility foresee the transformation of old stations and toll booths in dining and reception points (youth hostels, hotels, restaurants), info points for the enhancement of the territory and care centers for bicycles maintenance. These tourism businesses may be of great impetus to the development of employment and economic exploitation, as well as be a driver of growth for tourism and economy of the country. In Italy a possible strategy for sustainable conversion of these paths necessarily has to take account not only of landscape and environmental values, but also the rich archaeological heritage which, in most cases, these routes intercept and connect. In this regard, the recovery of the railway plaza of Velia, a Focea colony of Magna Graecia is emblematic. Founded shortly after 540 BC, Velia is located inside the archaeological area (northern region), associated with an abandoned stretch of nineteenth-century galleries and ancient houses of the archaeological park. According to a view to integrated redevelopment, the project proposal is based on the idea of the “museum” structured on the historic landscape values.