Seaside accessible to all, Fico: "Yes to platforms on the Naples seafront."

Naples – The future of the platforms installed along Naples's waterfront for the preliminary regatta of the 38th America's Cup is entering the debate on the city's relationship with its sea.

Reviving the proposal to maintain the facilities, at least for a few months of the year, is Campania Region President Roberto Fico, who expressed his support for the possibility of transforming a facility originally built for a major international event into a permanent, albeit temporary and seasonal, solution to allow residents to reach the sea in greater safety.

"The city of Naples must guarantee people free and safe access to the sea," Fico declared on the sidelines of the Four Days celebrations.

«Bringing the sea back to the city»

The regional president's reasoning stems from a broader consideration: Naples, a city overlooking the Gulf, should be able to offer its citizens the opportunity to experience the sea not only as a landscape feature, but also as an accessible public space.

According to Fico, the platforms built along the seafront could therefore be maintained and used during the bathing season, ensuring temporary access to the water even in areas characterized by the presence of rocks.

"The platforms along the seafront, so beautiful and important, can guarantee temporary access for a few months a year to allow for safe swimming," he explained.

A prospect that, according to Fico's intentions, could also help overcome one of the city's historical contradictions: that of having the sea just a few steps from the city center but not always easily accessible to residents.

"If we give the sea back to the city, we will also definitively put an end to this issue of Naples not being bathed by the sea," he added.

From Rotonda Diaz to Castel dell'Ovo

The proposal put forward by the President of the Region does not only concern the maintenance of the facilities already used during the sporting event.

Fico envisions a veritable system of platforms along one of the most iconic stretches of the city's waterfront, from Rotonda Diaz to Castel dell'Ovo, alternating platforms with rock spaces.

The goal would be to create access points to the sea distributed along the coastal stretch, while avoiding a continuous and uniform transformation of the coastline.

The project, however, would face landscape, environmental, and urban planning constraints. For this reason, Fico emphasized the need to initiate discussions with the relevant institutions.

The comparison with the Superintendency and the Ministry

The crucial step, according to the regional president, will be the dialogue with the Superintendency and the ministry, necessary to verify the feasibility of structures that can remain installed for several months each year.

"A close and constructive dialogue with the Superintendency and the ministry is needed," Fico emphasized, pointing to institutional collaboration as the path to a shared solution.

The issue, therefore, is not only the technical feasibility of maintaining the platforms, but also their compatibility with landscape protection and the regulations of the affected coastal stretch. Safety at sea: the buoys option

Another key point is safety.

The possible opening of new sea access points should be accompanied by a system of monitoring and protection for swimmers. Fico has proposed installing buoys 7 to 10 meters from the rocks, thus creating a safety zone and preventing boats from getting too close to the coast.

"Safety surveillance must be ensured," explained the regional president, also indicating the regional body's willingness to provide financial resources.

This issue would become particularly relevant during the summer months, when the number of people using the city's coastline increases and, at the same time, boat traffic in the Gulf increases.

From America's Cup structures to a new relationship with the sea

The proposal thus opens a reflection that goes beyond the material legacy of the America's Cup.

The structures installed to host the event could become, at least according to Fico's expressed intentions, an opportunity to rethink the accessibility of the Neapolitan coast, transforming temporary infrastructure into tools for seasonal public use.

Timing, methods, costs, permits, and responsibilities remain to be determined. But the issue is now on the table: how to use the waterfront after the event and how to make the sea truly accessible to Neapolitans, while simultaneously ensuring safety, landscape protection, and compliance with existing restrictions.