TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE MOTORWAY IN TUSCAN MAREMMA (ITALY)

In the recent experience of urban and regional planning the problem of developing transportation infrastructure in a sustainable way has been often tackled with special regard to fitting new highways with the surrounding landscape and environment. One of the most interesting aspects in this field is the evolution of decision-making and the way design quality is affected by such a process. This paper tries to analyse under this point of view the case of the so-called Tyrrhenian Corridor between Grosseto and Civitavecchia, the only missing link in the system of coastal highways from Palermo to Gibraltar. Several attempts have been made to complete this highway: from the project financing hypotheses studied by the Regione Toscana in the nineties, up to the recent proposals made by the national government. A special emphasis has always been put on the landscape quality of this infrastructure, as it crosses an area of outstanding natural beauty. However such a result has been pursued through negotiation between politicians more than through expertise by technicians. This attempt of designing sustainable infrastructure through public debate is discussed with the aim of pointing out some devices that can help the interaction of different bureaucracies in reaching the declared goals.