Residents can adopt a flowerbed in Venice

Locals can do their part in making the city literally greener

The municipal website of Venice informed that it is offering its citizens the chance to ‘Adopt a flower bed’, as the name of the initiative directly suggests. The authorities have decided to encourage shy or weary residents, who might otherwise be quite keen to participate. The local government has issued a reminder that such a citizens’ participation is actually inscribed in the municipal regulations for the protection and promotion of greenery in the city.

Civic involvement leads to civic responsibility

Those who wish can participate in the care and re-evaluation of the large and small green areas in the municipal territory. Individual citizens, families, associations, groups of citizens or other private entities have in fact the possibility of taking over municipal areas or flower beds and taking care of them with recovery and maintenance interventions.

All of this is formally inscribed according to the procedures set out in articles 8 and 23 of the "Municipal Regulations for the protection and promotion of greenery in the city". It will therefore be possible to "adopt" a flower bed near their house or park, be it large or small. The administration expects volunteers to frequent their particular flower bed and, alone or in a group, plant and care for the flowers and plants, and keep it clean and tidy.

Anyone wishing to start this activity for one or more green areas or parts of them can apply to the Soil and Public Green Protection Service. The forms and other information can be consulted on the initiative’s dedicated page on the municipal website.

The Public Green Office, once the application has been received, will evaluate from time to time the opportunity to assign the specific areas. It will also consider the type of interventions that the assignee will be able to carry out, the possible supply of technical and cognitive supports necessary for proper care and management, and the terms of contract and use of the area.