Ercolano

The territory of the city of Ercolano is a geological, environmental and cultural heritage, declared "of significant public interest" by decree in 1961. About two-third of the territory are included in the perimeter of the Vesuvius National Park. Moreover, numerous ministerial measures identified many archaeological sites within the territory, including the roman city of Hercolaneum buried by the ashes of the Vesuvius in AD 78 and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ercolano is also subject to high-risk seismic and volcanic activity. These natural conditions constitute a mix of great opportunities and difficult challenges for the implementation of urban development policies.

In past years the city Ercolano has realized several projects restoring and regenerating monumental villas and public space along the so-called “Golden Mile”. The main challenge is now to make their use and maintenance sustainable in the long term. Within the URBACT network ReGeneration, Ercolano aims at supporting the implementation of actions included in the Plan for Valorisation of Territory Grande Pompei, a strategic framework designed at national level to reconnect archeological and natural heritage sites along the coastal territory. The focus is mainly on regenerating Via Pugliano, a degraded area of the centre that hosts a regionally well-known textile vintage market, to transform it in an urban opportunity for tourism and entrepreneurial development.