MILAN - Mantua is Italy’s paradise and Vibo Valentia the country’s “inferno”. That was the verdict of the Legambiente survey to classify of cities and towns in Italy by their quality of environment. The results sum up the two main trends highlighted by “Ecosistema urbano 2006” (Urban Ecosystem 2006), the environmentalist association’s annual study. People live increasingly well in small to medium-sized towns, and worse in the cities. The contentment gap between provinces and big cities is growing, as is the rift between the improving North and a worsening South.

 

ROME ITALY’S BEST CITY – The traffic crisis, air pollution and rising noise levels are pushing down the quality of life in Italy’s cities. The best turned out to be Rome. Although only 68th, Rome is the first metropolis on the list of 103 towns and cities. Behind the capital is Genoa, in 70th place, Turin at 73 and Naples, 75th. The only city to do worse than Milan, 82nd on the list, is Palermo, ranked 86th. The collapse of the cities is one of the most significant data to emerge from the study. In addition to smog and traffic, waste water treatment and, especially in the South, refuse separation have created problems for some cities.

 

SOUTH STRUGGLES – The South may be struggling to achieve a more liveable environment but there are signs of vitality in the strong improvements of towns like Avellino and Macerata, or the continuing rise of others like Cosenza, Salerno, Brindisi and Lecce.

 

LOMBARD TRIO AT TOP – Three of the top ten towns are in Lombardy. Lecco has slid to third from last year’s first place, Cremona is sixth and Pavia is ranked tenth. The rest of the top ten is dominated by towns in the North. Just after Mantua comes Bolzano, up six places. In the fourth spot is nearby Trento, which can point to good public transport, decent air quality and waste water treatment facilities almost unrivalled in Italy. In fifth place is Verbania, in Piedmont, which tops the league for refuse management, recycling 52% of its waste.

 

English translation by Giles Watson

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