In Naples, there are 100 construction sites currently underway and 80 nearing completion

“We have over a hundred active construction sites across the city for strategic projects; of these, 80 will be completed by the end of this year as they form part of the NRRP, which sets a mandatory deadline of 2026, and a further 10, funded by complementary national funds, are due to be completed by 2029. We’re talking about schools, transport systems, urban regeneration, public housing and also digitalisation.” The mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi, with around a year to go before the end of his term of office (elections are due in spring 2027), takes stock of what is being achieved. Meanwhile, the political scene is already gearing up: Manfredi, true to his experience of broad-based coalition government, aims to replicate it.

Il sindaco di Napoli, Gaetano Manfredi

The most important projects? The mayor gives a long list. “I’m thinking of the ‘Tram del mare’, for which we’ve purchased 15 trams and built new routes; the first 160 homes in Scampia, intended for the former residents of the demolished Vele blocks, will soon be handed over to the council; they will finally have a decent place to live; we will also have 302 electric buses on the roads, to implement the energy transition set out in the NRRP. We are building around thirty schools, including 10 nurseries, which will be completed by the end of the year, although we won’t be able to open them all in September. Work is still ongoing at the Parco Virgiliano and on the Naples Metro, with two stations yet to be completed: however, these projects are funded by the Development and Cohesion Fund’.

A major project to which the president of ANCI would link his term of office. “The Real Albergo dei Poveri, designed by the architect Ferdinando Fuga, is one of the largest buildings in Europe. Another project that had been abandoned for decades,” recalls the mayor, “has been revived in agreement with the MIC. Today we can announce that it will house the Federico II University and the Scuola Superiore Meridionale, provide accommodation for students of the Partenope University, and accommodate an extension to the Archaeological Museum and the Public Library. But above all, it will feature spaces for cultural events: it will be the clearest embodiment of our city’s cultural wealth.”

In short, we ask him: is Naples managing to achieve the objectives of the NRRP – first and foremost, that of reducing inequalities? The mayor nods as if to say: we’re on the right track. Then he goes on to say: ‘We are the city with the highest number of projects approved and funded under the NRRP. After years of paralysis, during which the council’s poor economic and financial situation had forced inaction, old projects have been revived, in many cases adapted. And what matters most: we are carrying them out. The city still has a great need for public works, housing and services.”

Gaetano Manfredi speaks of citizens’ needs, yet he is accused by many quarters of failing to engage with certain sections of society. For example, the Industrialists’ Union recently attacked the mayor, claiming that he does not engage with business operators. Today, he is calling for a dialogue. But the mayor, as unperturbed as ever, replies: ‘I do not understand this accusation from the new leadership of the Industrialists’ Union. We frequently consult with the builders’ association ACEN, and we have also done so with the Industrialists’ Union, regarding decisions on the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and the new Town Plan. In short, once I understand the reasons for their dissatisfaction, we will certainly find a solution in the interests of the community.”