Italian spatial plans for the post-WWII reconstruction. The case of Genoa

Abstract

The article addresses a topic of international interest within urban planning, architecture and reconstruction history, with added timeliness given ongoing debates on reconstruction: the implementation challenges and consequences of post-WWII reconstruction plans in Italy, exemplified by Genoa’s Reconstruction Plan (RP) and General Master Plan (GMP) from 1945 to 1960. The methods employed – primarily archival research, supplemented by literature review – helped to interpret the case study considering three scales of interventions (neighbourhood, individual buildings, and open spaces) resulting from the RP implementation amidst past planning trends and successive modifications. The research findings show delays, speculative practices, fragmented governance, and the limited effectiveness of public oversight, emphasising the dominance of private interests and the enduring legacies of RP and GMP for Genoa’s urban development. By doing so, the research tries to situate the Genoa case in broader debates in the attempt to make a contribution not only to Italian planning history but also to comparative studies of post-war urban governance.