Policy and Governance Innovations for Sustainable Urban Development: An Overview of the 2014–2020 Structural Funds Programming in Italy

During the 2007–2013 programming period, EU regions were admissible for EU SF financing under the following three mainstream objectives: Convergence (those regions having a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of less than 75 % of the average GDP of the EU-25), Regional Competitiveness and Employment (all other regions), and Territorial Cooperation.

During the 1990 to 1993 period, a total of 33 Urban Pilot Projects were initiated under the aegis of Article 10 of the ERDF. These projects were implemented in eleven member states and aimed to support innovation in urban regeneration and planning within the framework of the broader policy for promoting economic and social cohesion.

The following Thematic Objectives (TO) for the EU Structural and Investment Funds interventions have been defined to translate the Europe 2020 priorities into regional policies: (1) Strengthening research, technological development and innovation; (2) Enhancing access to, and use and quality of; information and communication technologies (ICT); (3) Enhancing the competitiveness of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); (4) Supporting the shift towards a low-carbon economy in all sectors; (5) Promoting climate change adaptation, risk prevention and management; (6) Preserving and protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency; (7) Promoting sustainable transport and removing bottlenecks in key network infrastructures; (8) Promoting sustainable and quality employment and supporting labor mobility; (9) Promoting social inclusion, combating poverty, and any discrimination, (10) Investing in education, training, and vocational training for skills and life-long learning; and (11) Enhancing the institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders and efficient public administration.

In Italy, there are fifteen regions with ordinary status (regioni a statuto ordinario): Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Lazio, Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria; while five regions—Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sardinia, Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, and the Valle d'Aosta—have a special autonomous status (regioni autonome a statuto speciale), taking into account relevant geographically and/or culturally specific features.

The following URBAN CIP programs were implemented in Italy during the previous decades: Bari, Cagliari, Catanzaro, Cosenza, Foggia, Lecce, Napoli, Palermo, Roma, Salerno, Siracusa Ortigia, Regio Calabria, and Venezia Porto Marghera (1994–1999); Carrara, Caserta, Crotone, Genoa, Milan, Mister Bianco, Mola di Bari, Pescara, Taranto, and Turin (2000–2006). The PIC URBAN Genoa was supported during both programming periods.