Bagnoli: regenerating the horizon
In Naples, no place embodies the idea of “possibility” quite like Bagnoli. A stretch of land to the west of the city, overlooking one of the most evocative gulfs in the world, Bagnoli lived for over a century in the shadow of heavy industry, steel, and labour. And for more than thirty years, it has awaited its redemption.
Today, Bagnoli stands at the heart of an ambitious urban regeneration plan — no longer just promises, but a concrete, multi-layered project focused on environment, culture, and sport, aiming to return this land to the city — and to the world.
A heavy past, an opening future
For decades, Bagnoli was synonymous with Italsider: the steel giant that dominated the landscape and economy of the area until its closure in the 1990s. The legacy was a harsh one: pollution, unemployment, a complex land reclamation, and infrastructure delays.
Yet during this long wait, the neighbourhood never lost its spirit. Its beaches, bars, independent cultural spaces, and the sunsets igniting the horizon have continued to speak of beauty and resilience.
The relaunch: remediation, landscape, vision
The current project includes:
- completion of environmental clean-up
- demolition of obsolete structures and return of the seafront to the city
- new public green areas, coastal parks, and urban promenades
- cultural and educational hubs, spaces for innovation and research
- infrastructure for leisure and sustainable tourism
One of the most significant developments will be the creation of a new marina integrated with a public beach, preserving the area’s popular character but with a modern approach.
America’s Cup 2027: a global catalyst
The 38th America’s Cup, to be held in Naples in 2027, offers an extraordinary opportunity to project Bagnoli onto the global stage.
Part of the events and facilities will be concentrated in this area, transforming it into a platform for hospitality, innovation, and sport.
The event will act as a catalyst to:
- strengthen access infrastructure to the neighbourhood
- enhance the seafront with a focus on sustainability
- engage local communities in shaping the narrative
- create synergies with startups, research institutions, and cultural operators
Regeneration is not just construction
Bagnoli’s dream is not (only) about skyscrapers or resorts: it is about becoming accessible, vibrant, open once more.
The goal is to become an urban model where the sea, industrial memory, and civic participation coexist in harmony.
To regenerate Bagnoli is to restore the horizon to an entire city — to affirm that Naples doesn’t need to become something else: it only needs to unlock what it already holds within.
Bagnoli is where Naples can show how an urban trauma can be mended
— and turned into a shared future.
A construction site of dreams, learning to breathe again.
