A square is being turned into a pedestrian zone and, as always, protests ensue. Surreal but true

To pedestrianise or not to pedestrianise? That is the question. Is Piazza del Fleming to become a pedestrian oasis? Heaven forbid! As always, the initial reaction to any change in the city is the same: ‘step aside’. ‘Rome, the city on the outskirts’ thus takes on a different meaning: always true to itself. The latest battle between the local council and residents centres on the pedestrianisation of Piazza Monteleone di Spoleto, in the heart of the Fleming hillside. In recent years, the square had fallen into a state of utter disrepair, despite being in one of the most residential neighbourhoods of North Rome. An old market resembling a shanty town and cars everywhere. Now the project, which began on 13 July, involves pedestrianisation, with new paving, the planting of 13 trees, the introduction of seven new market stalls, and various seating areas and benches. In short, this regeneration project will see the creation of the first pedestrianised square in Fleming, a neighbourhood that currently lacks one.

“As well as its aesthetic and urban planning aspects, it will be the neighbourhood’s first communal square, where it will be a pleasure to stop for a chat, meet up or sit down for a few minutes,” notes Daniele Torquati, the Democratic Party chairman of Municipality XV, who has been a strong advocate for the project. Which, for the record, costs 2.8 million euros for the works and 200,000 euros for the design. Is everything proceeding smoothly? Not at all. For the past few days, a group of residents and shopkeepers have been protesting; they have even called for the building site to be shut down, and this will culminate in a demonstration on Saturday morning, which the Fratelli d’Italia party has jumped on board with – in Rome, when it comes to saying ‘no’ to something, they’re always at the forefront. “Tutti in piazza, insieme!”, announces the leaflet for the demonstration on 7 November. “Va bene riqualificare la piazza, ma non a spese di abitanti e operatori commerciali, la sinistra deve ascoltare i cittadini, chiediamo subito un tavolo di confronto!”, reads the announcement.

The protests are directed at an alleged reduction in parking spaces and, above all, the closure to traffic of the two narrow streets linking Via Bevagna with Via Città della Pieve – the two roads running alongside the square – which remain open to traffic, exactly as before. Some shopkeepers fear losing customers, when in fact the opposite is usually true: it is streets and squares closed to traffic that encourage shopping. “Most residents and shopkeepers are in favour, but as usual, it’s the protesters who make the most noise,” adds Torquati. The council is open to discussion, but without backtracking on the project; at a push, one of the two connecting roads could be closed but remain ‘accessible to vehicles’ for emergencies and goods delivery.

The new square is due to be inaugurated in March – we’ll have to wait and see. But this isn’t the first time that protests against urban regeneration projects have taken place, often fuelled by politics. In 2013, committees were formed to oppose the pedestrianisation of the Imperial Forums, a project championed by Mayor Ignazio Marino, and now the pedestrianised Forums are among the city’s most fascinating sites. In the Rione Monti, however, the ‘no’ camp prevailed when plans were made to pedestrianise the main streets such as Via dei Serpenti and Via Urbana: the neighbourhood has remained as it was, open to private traffic, albeit with a daytime restricted traffic zone (ZTL). “Shopkeepers were certain that banning cars would penalise them, whilst residents feared the ‘Campo dei Fiori’ effect – that is, an explosion of bars and nightspots accompanied by hordes of young people hanging about,” says a friend who lives there and was in favour of the closure at the time.

Yet a review of recent news items reveals a range of disputes: residents opposing the new traffic layout in Piazza Scotti in Monteverde; (very recent) protests against the pedestrianisation of certain streets in the Olympic Village; a petition against the redevelopment of Piazza Sempione (“it means losing parking spaces and, what’s more, the statue of the Madonna can’t be moved – it’s sacrilege!”); protests against the pedestrianisation of part of Piazza Ragusa in San Giovanni, to name but a few. Not to mention the civil war that has broken out over cycle lanes, which are to blame for taking away a few parking spaces and narrowing the carriageways. There aren’t any at Fleming’s; otherwise, the battle would be over that too.