Kurtinig, South Tyrol, Italy

The municipality Kurtinig, 39 kilometres South of Bozen, was first mentioned in 1288 and owes its foundation to the deposition of sediment through the river Etsch. In terms of area, it is the second smallest municipality of South Tyrol and the only one within the South Tyrollean lowland that lies 212 metres above sea level in midst of the valley bottom with only four metres difference in height. Due to the proximity to the language border, the percentage of Italian speakers (one third) is relatively high. Kurtinig has maintained a constant population of 650 over the last few years.

It is remarkable that, despite the small size of the municipality, in 2010, a masterplan commission was appointed to develop a village development plan based on an analysis of the current situation. This commission consists of a representative sample of the population and works under professional guidance. The architect office “feld72” created a 3D-sculpture of the structure and based thereon developed extension potentials with the preservation of the village characteristics in mind.

The expansion of the living space zone plans the construction of duplexes with designated green space. By constructing a communal underground garage and clearly defining public spaces it is possible to achieve urban planning expansions that are based on historic models. The design f the village square was undertaken in the 1990ies – the goal of making the town center the “living room” for the inhabitants was successfully achieved. Due to its central location within the compact historic core, it is easily accessible by foot. Aside from the village square, a park surrounded by public institutions such as a school, kindergarten, culture house and a station house is under construction in immediate proximity.

The newlyconstructed culture house seves as a multi-purpose room for educational and cultural use, the adjacent park can be used for cultural and social events as well. It should be mentioned that the building was awarded with the title “ClimateHouse Gold”, the highest ranking for public buildings in the field of energy. A historic building substance in the core area was adapted into a citizen house with a library. Due to its special topographic location and great effort, freedom of barriers was achieved in most parts. This can also be attributed to the reason that it is considered an advantage in competition among alpine regions of South tyrol.

The village is surrounded by fruit plantations and vineyards. An educational wine path with the Motto “Three villages, one path” is being planned together with the neighbouring villages Vertatsch and Magreid. As an environmental compensation measure, both the municipality and private people created small biotopes within the agricultural areas.

The municipality Kurtinig has good connections to the transregional bike path network and os planning a regional skate park Unterland. Due to a touristic enterprise in the town center and centrally located wineries, the village offers high-quality touristic infrastructure to its visitors. By maintaining a high density of public institutions and leisure activities as well as intense efforts towards a smart inner development, Kurtinig can also be described as a living location with a high quality of life.

Evaluated: 2016