The Area Behind the Train Station
Close to the city centre of Bolzano is an enormous unused area. Just a couple of minutes away from Piazza Walther lays a site that could easily host more than seven football fields and that has been unused for the better part of at least three decades. We from A place to B(z) are fighting for the opening of this site to the public in order to create a creative free space for us inhabitants of Bolzano. Below you can discover this area for yourself with our picture gallery and video tours and other information on the area.
Where is the Area?
How do I get there?
There are many ways to describe the location of this area, as it covers a big part of the city quarter Bozener Boden. You can get there on foot, by bike, by car or by public transport.
The easiest way is to start at the bus station in Bolzano. Follow Via Renon until you are at the valley station of the Ritter cable car. Then turn right and follow Via Piani di Bolzano, which then joins Via del Macello, the area is on the right, opposite Via del Macello 11.
If you want to come by bus the station closest is Via Mac. Ex Caserma Gorio/Schlachthofstraße Ex Kaserne Gorio.
The Google Plus code is F9W8+PV Bolzano, Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol
What does the Area look Like?
The area is currently closed to the public. The view inside is blocked by more than 300 meters of walls, that are more than 2 meters high. In some sections, there is even barbed wire on top of the walls. The gates are secured with heavy padlocks.
Take Part in The Digital Tour
Take a Look inside the Area
What Do You Want to See?
We continuously ask people about their wishes and desires for this area.
The most wanted suggestions:
- Urban Gardening
- Co-working/Atelier Space
- DJ & Dance
- Music Festival/ Street Food Festival/ Vegan Festival/ Climate Festival
- Pool
- Temporary Stores in Containers/ Flea Markets/ Solidary Economy/ Repair Café/ Book Sharing
- Trees, Flowers, Park
- Open Air Cinema
- Workshops & Cultural Exchange & Talks
- A place for city people/kids to be wild
- Education Space for Schools
- Open free space/ Transdisciplinary events·
- Café
Others have asked for a social centre, a skatepark for bikes, or a place to dance. The biodiversity of the site also holds great potential as the area has been unused for several decades, and the plants have retaken parts of it. Therefore this could be a great place to study the local flora and fauna and to educate different groups on this topic.
Another idea was to turn the orange structure into small booths and to create events focussing on different topics, for example, flea markets, repair cafes, artisans markets, farmers markets, ateliers, workshops, etc.
Showcasing Possibilities
In this area, there is plenty of space to support multiple uses to coexist simultaneously. Further, we can actively invite temporary uses to create an interesting and diverse offer that will benefit everyone.
To showcase the possibilities and demonstrate the size of the area, we have built a model. This model is designed to help residents choose from a variety of ideas that we collected during workshops, and build their own version of this area. This interactive approach concretises options and helps us communicate the possibilities of this area becoming a vibrant and thriving part of our community!
Making Different Futures Experiencable
Waiting For Answers
A Place to B(z) has submitted a proposal to the municipality of Bolzano for the opening and management of a part of the area. Based on our experience with the site, the administration and the residents, we believe that the elongated strip northwest of the temporary parking area (Zone 01), with an area of 0.4 ha, is the perfect spot for interim use.
This area has a direct access gate with a parking area in front, which also functions as a buffer zone to Schlachthofstraße and is separated by dense vegetation strips. Due to its central location and low conflict of use, this area can be used for a variety of different purposes. We can even shift noisy activities (e.g. Obstmarkt) that have caused conflicts in the city to this area and relieve the city centre during the warmer summer months.
Our goal is to create a space that will allow local culture to flourish and serve as a place of identification for Bolzano’s urban society. We want to strengthen existing offers and organizations and establish new networks through dialogue and cooperation. This transdisciplinary use of the area would generate a considerable added value that goes beyond an improved leisure offer.
We believe that the temporary management of the area by a citizens’ initiative creates a versatile opportunity for experimentation for the urban society of Bolzano. It will connect different population groups and promote new synergies and experiences at the community level. The area would offer a place of encounter where residents of the city could be given the opportunity to actively participate and take responsibility. We hope that you can join us in this exciting journey to create a powerful centre of innovation and creative urban development that will enhance the attractiveness and quality of life in our city.
In the coming years, we as an urban society will be confronted with a multitude of crises, some global, others local. A well-networked, capable city community is necessary to be able to face these crises successfully. The crises of the future will be decided by our decisions today.
We are currently in talks with the municipality on this topic.
Discover the History of the Area
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The project was born by the collaboration between 
