"To build something solid it is essential to start from equally solid foundations", the Mayor reminds us. Michael Foletti. «In this sense, I would like to recall the City Development Guidelines, the document that collects the principles and strategic objectives for the future of Lugano, with a time horizon that extends until 2030. In 2018, for the first time, the Municipality (Select) has precisely defined its vision and medium- and long-term objectives, and begun to pursue them methodically. This document, updated over the years, is a concrete tool for measuring and evaluating the city's work. The Development Guidelines also form the basis for developing tailored financial plans to restore public finances, without sacrificing strategic investments for the economic and social development of our region. But every economic development strategy is based on a shared commitment at all institutional levels. For example, equalization and the division of financial burdens between the canton and municipalities are decisions that can boost a municipality or significantly burden its planning.
«In the cultural field, thanks to its favorable geographical position, Lugano offers a varied set of references», comments the Deputy Mayor Robert Badaracco, Head of the Department of Culture, Sport, and Events. "This is the premise that guides and motivates city administration leaders to continuously coordinate the multiple objectives and proposals, and also to foster the development of constructive relationships, on the one hand, between institutions, organizations, and stakeholders, including private individuals, active within the metropolitan area, and on the other, with representatives from local municipalities and cantonal and federal offices. The shared goal of this dialogue is to bring added value to joint initiatives. It is therefore clear that large-scale collaboration, including in the cultural field, is confirmed as a concrete objective for designing a better future for the inhabitants of our region and beyond."
«Digitization, which is the responsibility of my office» he points out Mark Church, head of the Consulting and Management Department, "offers valuable tools not only to speed up administrative processes and process paperwork, but also to develop an ongoing dialogue with citizens and share their expectations. Therefore, the goal of the Consulting and Management Department is to ensure that technological innovations remain at the service of interpersonal relationships, for a Lugano accessible to all."
«The Lugano Real Estate Department deals with the construction of buildings, the management and maintenance of buildings and cemeteries, and the supply of material for outdoor events: stalls, benches, stages», is the premise of the manager Raoul GhislettaRequests for construction and extraordinary maintenance of buildings require a lengthy administrative and political process and are included in Lugano's investment and financial plans. Requests related to the use of halls, cemeteries, and the supply of materials, however, are subject to municipal regulations and ordinances. This way, we try to address the requests made by neighborhood assemblies and commissions, as well as by associations and citizens.
«He leads the Department of Territorial Development (DST), which includes planning, energy, environment, mobility – from pedestrian paths to the airport – as well as private construction», underlines the head Philip Lombardi, "It's sometimes a bit frustrating, because land-use planning, like energy strategy, is a long-term process, and its results may take decades to materialize. Therefore, there's a lot to negotiate with cantonal and federal authorities, and very little to cut! Fortunately, mobility is an exception, because some results are visible even in the short term. I'm talking about the municipal plans for pedestrian and cycle paths (and their implementation) and, above all, public mobility: the Lugano public transport service (TPL), the Lugano-Ponte Tresa railway (FLP), and the Cassarate Monte Brè funicular (FMB), as well as the development of the Agno airport. The DST has also begun electrifying Line 5 of the local public transport buses (a first in Ticino, soon to be followed by Line 3), which has received excellent feedback from users."
"The public also appreciates the steady growth of Lugano-Agno Airport, which has been steadily profitable since the city took over its operational management with a view to future development through a public-private partnership. In short," Lombardi concludes, "mobility, in all its forms, is a fundamental resource for a modern city like Lugano and its surrounding area. It is therefore pointless to fuel disparities between the functions of the various means of public transportation; instead, they must be considered in an integrated manner, for the benefit of the region, its citizens, and the economy."
«Reality changes and, with it, the need for dialogue» he notes Lorenzo Quadri, of the Department of Education, Support and Social Affairs. "Public bodies, especially at the municipal level, cannot fulfill every request or provide every answer. To maintain a constructive dialogue, roles must be clear. The state will increasingly need to focus on its core tasks and cooperate with private stakeholders in the area. Intermunicipal collaboration will also gain in importance. In the social sector in particular, it is important to be able to accommodate requests and provide advice that can direct citizens to the right interlocutor, in an increasingly complex system."
«The Department of Security and Urban Spaces», observes the head Karin Valenciano Rossi, "has the privilege of establishing a direct relationship with citizens: safety, urban spaces, and technical services touch everyday life. Responding to today's fragmented social needs requires constant attention, adequate response times, and equally strong institutional coordination. We thus seek to strengthen a constructive dialogue with citizens and with all institutional levels, especially at the cantonal level, with whom we collaborate to ensure consistent decisions, effective interventions, and services that meet citizens' expectations."
Lugano relaunches its recovery program: a new phase for the sustainability of public finances.
