Italian towns open year‑round outdoor basketball courts

In San Severino, volunteers and the municipal administration have installed a permanent outdoor basketball court on the former playground behind the "Tacchi Venturi" school. The court, painted with the town’s emblem and a basketball motif, replaces a seasonal structure that was covered with a tensile cover from September to June. The project aims to add playground benches and additional hoops to create a year‑round sports hub for local children.

In Reggio Emilia, a newly refurbished court on Via Turri was inaugurated during the seventh Slam Dunk Contest. Designed by street‑artist Francesca Cassani (Nine in the Paint) together with local youth, the court features inclusive markings for basketball, baskin (a mixed‑ability sport), volleyball and football. The initiative, part of the Erasmus+‑funded "Star 2.0 – Street Art for the Future" program, promotes social inclusion with the slogan “Breaking barriers through sports”. Both projects illustrate how Italian municipalities are using public‑space redesign and community involvement to foster active, inclusive recreation.