The Government has allocated 440,000 euros for the 2026–2027 biennium: a concrete investment to give full operational effect to the shared vision that recognizes nursery gardening as a driver of urban development and a European laboratory for greenery.
These resources fund the strategic planning activities of the Municipality of Pistoia, in implementation of the “Pistoia, Capital of Plants” memorandum of understanding signed by the Municipality of Pistoia, Fondazione Caript, and the Association of Italian Nurserymen (Associazione Vivaisti Italiani).
This intervention strengthens Pistoia’s role as a city that puts greenery at the center: not only as an environmental value but as an economic, cultural, and social lever capable of generating skilled employment and quality of life.
A total of 200,000 euros (100,000 in 2026 and 100,000 in 2027) will be allocated to the laboratory for phytosanitary self-monitoring of nursery production. The laboratory, created by Fondazione Caript in the GEA park, will be managed by a Consortium that brings together the Association of Italian Nurserymen (lead partner), Cia – Agricoltori Italiani Toscana Centro FI/PT/PO, Coldiretti Pistoia, and Confagricoltura Pistoia. It will represent a technical center of excellence serving the sector, integrating the functions carried out by the Phytosanitary Service of the Tuscany Region.
An additional 240,000 euros (120,000 in 2026 and 120,000 in 2027) will support urban furnishing interventions and an Urban Landscape design competition to make greenery an identifying element of the city of Pistoia, benefiting commerce, tourism, and urban livability for the entire community.
“These resources,” declares Vannino Vannucci, president of the Association of Italian Nurserymen, “represent a concrete signal of attention toward a sector that plays a strategic role for Pistoia from an economic, employment, and environmental perspective. Investing in a shared vision that combines the enhancement of the sector with phytosanitary prevention and control means protecting a unique production heritage. This heritage requires highly specialized skills, adequate tools, and stable planning over time to further consolidate itself as a lever for sustainable development for the entire territory and the community.”
“The Urban Landscape design competition,” says Francesco Ferrini, president of the Pistoia Ornamental Nursery District, “represents a strategic opportunity to transform a shared vision into concrete projects, putting greenery at the center of urban development. Pistoia’s ornamental nursery sector, recognized internationally for innovation, expertise, and sustainability, demonstrates that greenery is a true infrastructure capable of improving quality of life and generating value for the city. Through the involvement of the community and local stakeholders, Pistoia can establish itself as a European laboratory for urban regeneration and a replicable model for the cities of the future.”
