An escape plan from Gomorrah
Over the last years, public debate on the Caserta area has been dominated
by outcries over the deterioration and pollution of land, landscape and environment
as a result of illegal behavior, unauthorized building and waste traffic.
One of the first institutional responses to the issues that have been raised was
the land management plan for the province of Caserta, passed in July 2012.
This highly innovative plan sets, once and for all, the guidelines for town urban
planning, fixing rigid limits as regards land use, the protection of basic resources
(water, land, ecosystems, landscapes) and the recovery of deteriorated areas.
After synthetically going over the content of this plan, the article examines
some specific aspects of its approval process. It concludes with some reflections
of the possible effects of the plan, as well as the reactions of public opinion and
the media to its passing.