In Italy, it is now easier to build a stadium

The new sports facility in Arezzo will bear the signature of architect Carlo Antonio Fayer, and it will be the first to be built thanks to the new stadium law. The law allowed the club and all the figures involved in the project to receive a response from the Municipality within 60 days: the approval arrived in record time, just 59 days. Currently in fifth place in Group B of Serie C, Arezzo will see the construction of a new stadium with a capacity of 12,500 spectators. The facility – which according to plans should be completed by 2030 – is inspired by the model of English stadiums, minimizing the distance between the stands and the curves from the grass pitch. The new structure will mark a radical change compared to the current Città di Arezzo stadium, inaugurated in 1961, characterized by the classic athletics track and elliptical shape. A unique stadium, thanks to the most significant modification made in 2004, when the South curve was demolished and rebuilt in the Premier League style: uncovered, with a rectangular shape, and much taller than the previous one.

All about the new stadium law in Italy

So, how exactly does the new stadium law work in Italy? Enacted on January 1, 2024, the law simplifies the processes for building new stadiums, providing important support for sports clubs. This change represents a real turning point, as it accelerates procedures and sets certain timelines for implementation. As mentioned in the first paragraph, one of the most interesting innovations is that the Municipality is now required to respond to clubs, investors, or any other applicants within 60 days. A small effort that, while only partially resolving the bureaucratic bottlenecks typical of renovation or upgrading projects for sports facilities in Italy, still represents an important step forward. Another key aspect of the law is the possibility of directly entrusting the sports facility to the club that already uses it.

The proposed law aims to achieve the primary objective of stadium redevelopment, with the goal of starting a new era for the surrounding urban areas, especially the peripheral ones. This urban regeneration process aims to combine environmental sustainability and architectural innovation, with the objective of improving the quality of life for citizens, a improvement that will be measured through the increase of green areas and better access to infrastructure and services planned in the projects. To ensure greater profitability, commercial, recreational, and tourist facilities will also be built alongside the sports venues.

Furthermore, it must be noted that the first project developed thanks to the new stadium law increases the optimism of an entire country, which is already looking ahead to the 2024 European Championships, which Italy will co-host with Turkey. This sporting event could mark a fundamental chapter in the renaissance of Italian football, a process that inevitably depends on the improvement of both private and public stadiums.

The concept of the stadium as a social space

With the new stadium of the Arezzo club, the idea of the stadium as a social space to be lived daily, perfectly integrated into the urban fabric, rather than an isolated facility to be used only on matchdays, is spreading in Italy. It is a stadium that, at least in the initial concept, will need to be multifunctional. This concept blends the American-style approach of Rocco Commisso's Viola Park, which embraces the American idea that a strong social aspect should develop around sports, with the more traditional (in fact, ancient) idea of football, rooted in history. It is enough to think that even the Circo Massimo in Rome was conceived to integrate perfectly into the urban fabric, including various services around the structure.