Urban structure

The landscape and the hydrological network is integrated into the urban project according to the same rules as both the historic and more recent rural elements, with water storage and irrigation in a closed cycle, natural green structures, canals and small lakes. Green areas, water and wind fill the city spaces, forming a continuous private and public network for the residents, from a natural green salotto (an outdoor living room) to more architecturally built-up squares and streets.

The site does not provide the most suitable microclimatic conditions so the ECOCITY project worked hard to gain maximum possible levels of comfort in the existing microclimate. The objective of well-being for the citizens results in the need to transform the area through a series of urban measures in order to achieve bioclimatic benefits, the mitigation of emissions and the control of air circulation and noise.  

These aspects together make up 'urban comfort' and are defined as the principal motivation for urban design and for the new sustainable transport structure.  

The first objective was to create the backbone of the urban structure in the form of the ventilation oriented main axis, coming from the hillside across the river. This is in accordance with the existing city's structural orientation. Consequently, the principal bioclimatic spine tunnels the wind from the river park, from the south to the railway station and into the 9th-century city centre. The historical bioclimatic spine tunnels the wind from new urban area A to the ancient Borgo Minore. The other two remaining wind corridors run from area B through the existing roads of the 'workers' village' (the Molino), the former tobacco factory site and the modern city.  

The design of the urban texture comprises a system of buildings around a common external corte (courtyard) derived from the ancient Roman domus (typical Roman townhouse). There are three different building typologies: apartments, detached houses and terraced houses. Differences in the systems of construction, such as technological components, heights, density etc., depend on the specific microclimatic requirements of the location.  

The new urban residential plan, integrated into the river park, respects the characteristics of the existing city with regard to density levels. Existing heights of buildings, numbers of flats, building typologies and district compactness are used as reference points for the continuing city evolution process. Furthermore, the interrelationships and boundaries between buildings, together with the geometrical shape and size of open spaces, has been optimised by using FLUENT software ('fluid-dynamic calculation simulation'). This allows levels of urban comfort and relative density to be regulated. Business and public services will be mixed with residential functions. The first two are situated primarily on the ground floors of the buildings. They are centred around the principal points of the main bioclimatic axis, along the urban green salotto, the atrium buildings (see explanation below) or in the multifunctional open and covered areas of the renovated former tobacco factory. The shape of the city and the landscape was originally formed by the geometry of the ancient Roman centuriatio (regular-meshed network of drainage and irrigation canals). The modern urban structure is also planned in accordance with the water system, relating to the collection, distribution and drainage of water. The River Tevere curves and meets the River Reggia, forming a critical flood point. Therefore the River Basin Authority prescribed urban extension limits.  

From the urban grain the analysis continues to building typology, concentrating on the Italian casa corte (house with a central courtyard) as a local interpretation of the Roman domus. This type of structure articulates its buildings around two fundamental systems. The first is the atrium, a more architectural and defined space serving as a basin for rainwater storage. The second is the peristilium, a larger and more open space used as a vegetable garden. These systems not only represent the most appropriate response to more compact urban development in the high-density city, but also represent a more efficient bioclimatic mechanism. Even though the initial typology has been transformed during the past century into the 'middle class villa' and finally the 'upper class villa', the original concept and its fundamental characteristics are still intact.

Transport

The primary objective and principle for transport is the almost complete absence of cars. Unlike conventional urban planning, structured along roads for cars, the Umbertide ECOCITY project is organised according to bioclimatic wind tunnel axes, which are also used as footpaths and cycle paths and harmonised with the architecture of public, semi-public and private open spaces. In collaboration with the railway company and the people of Umbertide, a plan was produced for the redesign of the existing, inefficient rail network to provide a new, efficient light railway, interconnected with the national rail network. In addition, a new railway station will be built in Umbertide.  

In order to change the current modal split (80% of Umbertide citizens travel in private cars), a three-stage project was proposed, allowing a gradual transition to a 'long-term scenario'. By the final stage, private car use would be reduced to about 10% and journeys would instead be made by train (50%), other public transport (20%) and by bicycle or on foot (20%). Together with bioclimatic comfort, alternative mobility has become a prominent feature of the project. Different types of mobility can be identified, such as fast and slow modes, and there are other important divisions such as 'single-minded spaces' (spaces, such as large roads, that people pass through with a common purpose ) or 'open-minded spaces' (spaces that are used for different purposes and that are not dominated by speed). The articulation of the fast, 'single-minded spaces' is organised along an external ring road, where bioclimatic efficiency is less important. The 'open-minded spaces' are made up of the alternation of the private and semi-public courtyards, the public square and the mixed-use locations as well as the 'urban green salotto' where comfort and aesthetic quality have been optimised. Here, far more attention was paid to details of construction, materials and bioclimatic efficiency (glare, orientation, sun protection, wind benefits etc.). They are organised along the north-south bioclimatic spine and the wind corridors between the buildings.

Energy and material flows 

Umbertide has a Mediterranean temperate climate with rainy winters and hot summers. During the summer months, light breezes from the south, east and west enter the city from the surrounding hills, providing the buildings with natural air conditioning. During the remaining seasonal periods the prevalent wind direction veers between north and west.  

The strategic choices made by the people of Umbertide in relation to energy direct the ECOCITY masterplan towards passive solar housing, high energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies. The most important priorities are: first, urban district heating and secondly, cooling features (including natural ones) for urban spaces and buildings.  

The sustainable solar housing energy target was set in accordance with the Italian 'Casa Clima' certification concept. The proposed building typologies use a three-chimney scheme (two for air entry, and a convective loop system and one for air expulsion) which improves indoor comfort through natural ventilation, passive solar heating and cooling systems, optimising energy and bioclimatic efficiency. The remaining energy demand will be covered by a district heating network using the existing agricultural biomass produced and converted into wood pellets by local enterprises. The energy saving achieved is 75% and the CO2 emission reduction is 73% compared to existing Italian building standards. 

The demolition rubble, excavation material from the roads and gravel from the rivers will be used for landscaping, to construct playgrounds and as recycled materials for new buildings.  

The water system follows the ancient urban grain: the small ponds, the canals and the rivers in the park represent the remnants of this natural water network. In the new residential settlement, the water cycle starts from rainwater collection in each central well and then flows into the private 'edible garden', along the pedestrian and cycle paths and enters the houses. It finally concludes with grey water and wastewater treatment and management in a closed cycle.