A 6-Hectare Urban Oasis With a 1700s Well Threatened By Overdevelopment

LIVORNO, ITALY – A remarkable story of urban green protection, archaeology, and biodiversity is unfolding in the heart of Livorno.

The “Goito Street Urban Gardens” are a 6-hectare public green oasis.

They are famous in the city’s history for a major protest where citizens physically blocked heavy machinery. Today, this space faces a critical moment after the land was recently sold at a bankruptcy auction to a private developer.

The story began in 2013, when residents of Livorno recovered a huge piece of land that had been abandoned for over twenty years.

Many elderly people and regular citizens found a vital community space here. Together, they rolled up their sleeves and took care of the greenery day after day.  They cleared the overgrown areas, farmed the land, and watered the plants.

In this way, they transformed an illegal dumping ground into a thriving social garden, an open-air cultural center, and a vital green lung for the entire city.

The 2016 Bulldozer Block and the Late-1700s Well

The defense of this green space has deep roots. In March 2016, residents and activists formed a human shield to block three large bulldozers that had entered the area for a construction project. They successfully stopped the destruction of the park and saved it.

In the following years, the ecological and historical value of the site became even more clear.

Excavation work done by the citizens brought to light an extraordinary ancient well dating back to the late 1700s. 

This adds a deep and objective historical and archaeological value to the area.

This site holds an irreplaceable cultural heritage that requires protection under national cultural heritage laws to prevent it from being erased by real estate projects.

The 2026 Auction Sale and the Project that Erases the Woods

Despite the immense social and historical value of this natural area for Livorno, the 6-hectare park was recently put up for auction by the court. In July 2026, the land was officially sold for over 1 million euros to a private developer.

This puts this precious natural space at risk with a massive construction project.

The plan uses an “80/20” split, where 80% of the area would theoretically remain green and 20% would be built upon. However, this proposal brings a destructive reality.  To build that 20%, the project plans to completely cut down the entire woods present in the area. This compromise would erase the true natural heart of the park, its rich biodiversity, the protected animal species that find shelter there, and the fruits of years of community care. Citizens are asking the Municipality of Livorno to step in with an expropriation to officially turn the entire area into a 100% protected public park.

This Story Has a Global Value

The story of the Goito Street Gardens reflects the battles of local communities worldwide to protect natural spaces and urban ecosystems from the spread of concrete and from construction projects that sacrifice trees and ancient woods. It shows how vital it is to keep green areas accessible and alive inside cities for the health and well-being of all citizens.

A total of 120 self-managed urban gardens have been created, along with small picnic areas under the trees, equipped with benches and tables. The site also hosts cultural and political initiatives.

In 2016, the former owner, a construction cooperative named CLC, tried to enter the area with bulldozers. They were blocked by a wall of activists who prevented them from entering. The activists were all reported for private violence but were later acquitted by a judge.

On July 30 of this year, the area was sold at auction for 1.2 million euros to a local businessman from Livorno, Stefano Frangerini. Over the years, his company has won numerous contracts from the Municipality of Livorno. The Court must hand over the land “free of people and property” within 120 days, so an eviction is expected in the coming weeks.

In recent days, highly attended public meetings have taken place. A large protest march took place on September 5, starting at 4:00 PM from the green space on Via Goito and heading to Piazza del Municipio. The demonstration was accompanied by three days of free camping, running from September 3 to September 6. Shortly, four permanent garrisons will be set up at the four entrances of the land to prepare to resist the eviction by any means.

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