Golden Sand

Lignano Sabbiadoro is one of the cities that has been a victim of flooding in recent years, as the city's drainage is designed to flow onto the roads, which in turn goes into the drains, and with the lack of maintenance and their under sizing, the roads eventually end up flooded. By transforming Lungomare Ricardo Riva into a flood absorber green park, it is possible to naturally drain the rainwater that goes to this road, while developing a more pleasant route, safer for walking and cycling, as automobile traffic will be prohibited, except on a section for residential access, however, pedestrian circulation is prioritized.

At the points where the green corridor intersects the other roads, there are green spaces with underground parking to create the transition between automobile circulation and pedestrian circulation, and giving the city more places for parking, which is something that lacks, especially during the bathing season. Also, the “Piccinato” Pedestrian Paths, will be enhanced with recreational and rest spaces at the junction points with the park, to facilitate visual perception and access to these pedestrian routes.

Nature is valued for the benefits they provide, like personal well-being, the CO2 emissions they absorb. So, the project integrates new buildings and new open spaces with Nature, maintaining all existing trees. For example, at Unicef Park and Passo Barca, the buildings are developed from the existing trees, the voids generate the shape of the building. The Natural Park is redesigned by the shapes that people left on the ground by crossing through the trees and the grass at “In Between”, and these new several spaces, designed for contemplation and tourism, generate an interpretative center that explain the local vegetation and flora, while valuing and protecting the local Nature. The current anti-flood wall that stopped the dunes to grow naturally and beautifully, also created a separation between the city and the beach. So, in response, the project develops a new crossing based on the natural formation of the dunes.

The city lacks public spaces for the general population, like spaces to play, rest, socialize, leisure, entertainment, recreation, for all the city's inhabitants, like children, young people, adults or even the elderly, and these new spaces proposed in the flood absorber green park play an important role in the urban fabric, functioning as public spaces capable of attributing identity within a community. The development of play areas for children integrated with green areas for adults are very important for healthy children and healthy adults. Children develop physically, but also socially, cognitively and even emotionally through play, and adults show health benefits from being in green spaces. In other words, it is essential to have the park in the city for the people.