Raggio verde
The Cassarate river, with various interventions, is becoming an oasis of proximity, a valuable natural element that serves an aggregative and recreational function.
Initially identified as a boundary line between municipalities, the Cassarate river is becoming a nearby oasis, a valuable natural element serving as a space for gathering and recreation. A "raggio verde" (green ray) that aims to offer residents and visitors a natural path with areas dedicated to relaxation and leisure.
The project, which concerns the entire river and not just its mouth, stems from the need to ensure hydraulic safety while revitalizing the river and its banks, allowing all citizens to enjoy a new public space.
Efforts are being made - through various interventions - to further enhance a valuable area, from Piano della Stampa to the Cassarate river's mouth (foce). This area, once reduced to a mere water transport channel for long stretches, is now being enhanced with specific functions for leisure, sports, and recreation.
The path begins at Piano della Stampa, where the existing pedestrian route has been upgraded with rest and relaxation areas and small bridges extending the current trail. From Piano della Stampa, a route leads to the river's mouth (already revitalized), crossing through the urban area.
Along the river's path, zones have already been partially created and made available to residents to gather and fully enjoy the watercourse and its spaces safely, while benefiting from the relaxed atmosphere of this natural environment.
Intervention at Piano della Stampa
In 2014, the Consorzio Valle del Cassarate e Golfo di Lugano and the Ufficio cantonale dei corsi d'acqua (Cantonal Watercourses Office) completed safety and redevelopment works on the Upper Cassarate, specifically in the river section between Ponte di Valle and Riale Franscinone. These interventions, which also involved the City of Lugano with the Cadro District and the Municipality of Canobbio, are part of the Progetto di rinaturazione del Cassarate (Cassarate Renaturation Project). The works included:
- consolidation of the banks with quarry blocks
- water flow disruption through the placement of boulders, groynes, construction of a sedimentation basin, and installation of a comb (placement of poles)
- environmental redevelopment by creating a path along the left bank of the river
Lot 1: Cassarate and Ligaino rivers.
The redevelopment of the Cassarate river, including a new Piazza sul fiume (Riverfront Plaza), received building permits from the City Councils of Lugano and Canobbio. The construction credit of CHF 3.8 million was approved by the Lugano City Parliament in November 2023.
The project entails: flood protection measures, the creation of a central natural amphitheater called "Piazza sul fiume", the daylighting and renaturalization of the Ligaino stream, reshaping the riverbed to support fish habitats, completing the regional cycling path and connecting it to the Piano dei trasporti del Luganese PTL (Lugano Transport Plan) and the slow mobility network defined by the Nuovo quartiere Cornaredo (New Cornaredo District), new plantings with native vegetation, and the development of a strategy to combat invasive alien plants, particularly Japanese Knotweed.
Lot 2: Cassarate and Cassone rivers
The third phase (Lot 2) focuses on the remaining section of the Cassarate river up to its mouth and the confluence with the Cassone river. The primary goals of the project are to improve hydraulic safety along the river stretch and to restore ecological connections with the surrounding environment, thereby significantly enhancing the area's landscape quality. This initiative aims to make the territory more accessible and usable, as desired by the population. It represents a fundamental opportunity to renew the vision and development of the area, emphasizing resilience and adaptation to climate change challenges and fostering a revitalized livability within the city.
Redevelopment of the Cassarate river mouth
The redevelopment of the Cassarate river mouth, completed in 2014, was conceived as the natural conclusion of the hydraulic works on the river from Piano della Stampa to Lake Lugano, managed at the cantonal level. For the City, the project at the river mouth emerged as a vital connection between the service and recreational infrastructures located on both banks: the lido, harbor, and sports facilities on the left and the public park on the right. From a planning perspective, the redevelopment of the Cassarate river mouth is closely linked to the aforementioned river park, including a pedestrian and bicycle path on the left bank of the Cassarate river.
Last updated: 14 December 2023
The English version of this page was created with the aid of automatic translation tools and may contain errors and omissions.
The original version is the page in Italian.