Italian cities extend park opening hours during summer heat

The municipality of Genoa has postponed the closing time of several city parks and gardens to 21:00 each day, a measure that will remain in force until 15 September and may be extended if high temperatures persist. The decree, confirmed for a second consecutive year, applies to sites such as Parco dell’Acquasola, Villa Croce, Villa Doria and the parks of Nervi, among others, to give residents cooler evening access.

In Trieste, the Democratic Party’s councilors Luca Salvati and Valentina Repini presented a motion to the city council to experiment with later summer opening hours for public gardens. The proposal argues that extended hours would improve livability, safety and social interaction during cooler evenings, and suggests accompanying measures such as better lighting and occasional surveillance. The council is set to evaluate the trial on the most frequented parks.

Both initiatives aim to address the challenges posed by recent heatwaves by providing citizens, especially children, seniors and families, with accessible green spaces during more tolerable evening temperatures.