Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
which will cut through all archaeological layers (bottini 2010, x). The difficulties
in placing these so they do not destroy important archaeological structures were
emphasized at the planning stage by the archaeological superintendency, who
stressed the importance of carrying out all archaeological investigations before
costing and awarding contracts. failure to do this, they warned, would result in
changes having to be made in the course of construction, which would lead to
losses of time and money (martone 2010, 3).
Results have shown that their fears were well founded. Three of the four stops
projected in the area that was the heart of the ancient city (Campus martius)
have been canceled, raising concerns over how useful the line will be in reduc-
ing surface traffic (bottini 2010, xi; suttora 2010). The station in piazza Venezia,
the symbolic heart of the city, was originally intended to be in the center of the
square, making it easily accessible from all sides, but this is now under review.
The discovery of significant Roman remains, possibly the atheneum of emperor
hadrian, a building hitherto known only from texts, will necessitate some ad-
justments. however, the fact that the station is going ahead at all and that there is
cooperation between the archaeologists and the developers in finding a solution
to the problem is a sign of a less rigid approach to development (Cecchi 2010, viii).
progress is slow, as the archaeological superintendency warned it would be in
1996 and again in 2002 (martone 2010, 3). The metro, which was originally sched-
uled to open in 2011 and cost two billion euros, is now unlikely to open before
2018 and will cost nearer five billion euros (suttora 2010). The constant delays,
expense, disruption of traffic, and lack of transparency in the awarding of public
contracts have frustrated local residents.
impact of heritage protection
at a distance of more than fifty years since the first Gubbio Charter, this seems a
good moment to take stock and assess the long-term impact of heritage protec-
tion on the city of Rome. The most notable impact has been the loss of local popu-
lation from the historic center, a phenomenon repeated in other tourist-historic
cities (ashworth and tunbridge 2000, 127). The abandonment of the city center
by residents began in the postwar period and has persisted to the present day as
prices continue to rise. most areas of the city have lost 60-70 percent of their lo-
cal residents since 1980. in 1951, 370,000 permanent residents lived in the historic
center, today the figure is estimated to be less than 100,000 and there is no sign
that the trend is reversing. Their place has been taken by tourists who now out-
number permanent residents by two to one in some areas (berdini 2010, 322-323).
for those forced to migrate to the periphery, the failure to provide the promised
new integrated transportation structure, and the cancelation of stations in the
city center where they are most needed, makes life at best uncomfortable and at
worst unsustainable.
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