Avenida Italia Project Aims to Transform Central Havana Thoroughfare

The Avenida Italia Project is an initiative designed to support the comprehensive urban development of Havana’s Centro Habana district. It aims to transform the intersection of Malecón and Avenida Italia.

This project is part of a broader strategy to revitalize underutilized urban spaces through a combination of technical solutions, citizen participation, and collaborative design. The area will soon undergo an artistic transformation, featuring graphic designs on the pavement and a collective mural created by young participants from the Urban Ideas Lab held last February. This proposal showcases their talent and creativity and was developed with guidance from the Ad Urbis collective.

Thanks to the efforts of the Mass Construcción team, work is currently underway to clean the area, level surfaces, and upgrade basic infrastructure. This includes improvements to the sewage system and preparations for lighting and street furniture installations. Additionally, recycled materials will be used to create functional and sustainable urban furniture, in line with the principles of tactical urbanism and placemaking—fast, low-cost interventions that have a high social impact.

The initiative aims not only to rehabilitate the space but also to foster a sense of identity and belonging among residents through active community involvement. According to the project’s statement, this community-driven urban transformation could serve as a replicable model in other parts of the city.

A diverse range of stakeholders is collaborating to bring this project to life, including Italian development cooperation, local artists, experts from Ad Urbis, professionals from the Master Plan Office, the Havana Provincial Government, and the Centro Habana Municipal Government.

Launched in 2022, the project has contributed to the reurbanization of the area surrounding Avenida Italia. It also supports innovative, sustainable, creative, and circular economies, with a focus on inclusion and the empowerment of youth and women. The project’s closing event will feature a final intervention at the intersection of Avenida Italia and Malecón, marking the culmination of the Urban Ideas Lab.

Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez

Source: Prensa Latina