Consultations to begin on the updating of Central Corfu Integrated Territorial Investment programme
CORFU. Meropi Ydraiou: Central Corfu is the only municipality in the Ionian Islands where planning for Integrated Territorial Investment is proceeding.
To achieve this, the Municipality held an information event on Friday morning in the foyer of the Municipal Theatre with representatives from the Management Authority, the Hellenic Development Bank, the Fire Department, the Police, the Technical Chamber of Greece, tour guides, the Ionian University, ANION, and the San Giacomo Association, in preparation for the consultation process.
Cultural creative economy
The update of the design for the Integrated Territorial Investment (ITI) is focused on the cultural creative economy sector (i.e. connecting cultural assets and brand with entrepreneurial exploitation) concerns the funding of projects from the new ESPA 2021-2027 Programme, subject to the conditions set by the European Commission, which focus on the aesthetics of cities (e.g. urban redevelopment) and resilience in both climate change and social aspects.
In the coming days, Central Corfu Municipality and the Urban Authority of Corfu Town ISI/VAA will issue a public call for the participation of stakeholders in four thematic consultation platforms, with the first focusing on the local economy (tourism, entrepreneurship), the second on culture (cultural capital, contemporary culture), the third on urban regeneration and sustainable mobility, and an additional platform for resilience (climate change, social resilience). The completion of the updated strategic plan is expected by early 2024, in order to be submitted for approval to the Management Authority for project funding.
The only Municipality
As pointed out by Mayor Meropi Ydraiou, the Municipality of Central Corfu is the only one in all the Ionian Islands where the ITI plan is being implemented, with a credit absorption rate of 60%. "The aim of the ITI is for Corfu to become a multifaceted, creative, multicultural destination, incorporating elements such as the creative cultural economy, sustainable tourism and traffic management, in order to enhance the lives of citizens," she said.
According to the Director of Planning and Development for the Municipality, E. Pitsa, the consultation will take place both in person and online, while the experience from the previous round will act as a catalyst to ensure that the expected results are achieved within the timeline.
Focal points
The strategic plan of the Integrated Territorial Investment concerns both the old town of Corfu and its influence zone. The Urban Authority was formed to submit the plan, headed by the Municipality and partners including the Ionian University, the Corfu Chamber of Commerce, the Regional Development Agency of Corfu, the Municipal Gallery and the Technical Chamber of Corfu.
The proposed strategy focuses on the development of urban/cultural tourism, mainly by exploiting the unique identity, the rich cultural heritage and the contemporary cultural creation, the creative and cultural economy and entrepreneurship, in highlighting the historical elements and periods that make up the town's identity ("the town tells its story") - towards sustainable urban development with an emphasis on elements such as the urban environment, traffic management by promoting innovation and exploiting knowledge and new technologies, and in the direction of strengthening productive activity and employment at the local level.
