Antonio Perazzi on urban regeneration with spontaneous plants

Landscape architect Antonio Perazzi, artistic director of the fifth edition of Radicepura Garden Festival in Giarre (until December 7, 2025), advocates for urban regeneration using zero-cost, low-maintenance spontaneous plants. In an interview, he criticizes the lack of green space in southern Italian cities like Catania, which has only 4 sq m of green per inhabitant versus the national average of 30. Perazzi argues that cities need gardeners and citizen engagement more than money, citing examples like Milan's Darsena, where abandoned restoration led to a beautiful garden of alien plants. He promotes a 'gardening common sense' over slogans and statistics, emphasizing that spontaneous plants are resilient and require no maintenance. Perazzi calls for a new school that balances art, design, practice, and plant knowledge, expressing confidence in younger generations. The festival, which attracts over 40,000 visitors, focuses on contemporary gardens as sustainable models socially, culturally, and biologically.