Fiumicino is located in the larger context of Mediterranean coastline. Along this coastline there is a common type of coastal landscape. It composed by sand dune system, shrub system and woodland system, which change gradually from seashore towards inland. This natural landscape is inevitably disturbed and fragmented by the urban development. This is the situation for fiumicino. Visually, as I walked into Fiumicino, I was firstly impressed by the natural environment in the reserve. Meanwhile, the urban environment in Fiumicino, depriving of nature and thus public space, leading to low quality of life.
To understand the mechanism of nature restoration is the first important step, since the site is largely wasteland currently. There are three stages of restoration. In the pioneer stage, special pioneer species will be picked up and planted along the coastline. These pioneer species are highly tolerant for the wind and salinity. The nature restoration will also have succession stage and climax stage as time goes by. The different stages can be incorporated into the site development phasing--such as housing, tourism, commercial and infrastructure-- thus become a dynamic process according to time and different situations.
To let the natural process to meet with urban process means to let the natural system to provide a framework for the urban development, while being flexible to different needs. The nature becomes the public space and green space for the residents and tourists, at the same time attracting wild life to further complement the ecosystem. By restoration of three natural system-sand dune, shrub and woodland, the urban programs can be fit into different phases. Recreation, housing and commercial development is arranged within the framework of natural restoration while taking the advantage of different systems.
Within the frame work of natural systems, urban development can be incorporated according to its characteristic. Sand dune systems, which will be restored first, is important to facilitate the ecosystem inland. It would be mostly protected, with some boardwalk for tourism. The shrub system which is the most flexible, would develop the housing to meet population grows. The vegetation structure can improve the micro-environment. Community parks are naturally come from the vegetation. The woodland system, which takes the longest time to restore, is for ecological, commercial and recreational programs.
