What if a street could do more than connect places?
What if it could help us breathe better, think deeper, and feel more part of our city?
In a time when cities are searching for new ways to care for people and the environment, sometimes
the most powerful answers arrive through beauty.
Blu Art – The Colours of the Air is a powerful example of how beauty and responsibility can meet
in the public space. Funded by regional resources and promoted by Roma Capitale, this project is
one of the technical actions through which the city is actively fighting air pollution while
transforming streets, squares and public spaces into living works of art across all 15 municipalities
of Rome.
At the heart of the initiative lies a simple but revolutionary idea: paint the city with purpose. Fifteen
large-scale pavement artworks are being created, one in each district, using water-based paints made
from recycled raw materials. These non-toxic surfaces are not just beautiful — they are functional.
Through a natural process of photocatalysis, they actively help reduce air pollutants such as PM10,
PM2.5 and PM0.5, turning ordinary streets into silent allies for cleaner air.
The project brings together art and science through the work of street artists Marco Oggian,
ScombinAnto, Serena Gianoli, GeometricBang and Elisabetta Vedovato, coordinated by the
communication agency Jungle. Each artwork tells a different story: the invisible damage of
polluted air, the impact of over-cementification, the healing force of nature, and the urgent need for
change in our daily habits.
The colours used echo environmental air-quality maps, transforming scientific data into emotional,
visible landscapes that people can walk across every day.
For Streets for Citizens project, and with ANCI Lazio coordinating the pilot area in Rome, this is
more than just a project or a good practice. It is a glimpse of the future: streets as places of care,
beauty and collective awareness, in the true spirit of the New European Bauhaus.
The project is currently ongoing, and the completion of the interventions is expected in the coming
months.
Image credit: Official communication material by Roma
Capitale – The first Blu Art installation, inaugurated on 13 October 2025 in Piazza Conca d’Oro (III
Municipality), was created by Marco Oggian. This colorful 96 m² caterpillar not only delights the
eye but also cleans the air, absorbing pollutants like 30 mature trees.
#streetsforcitizens #interregeuromed #greenlivingareas
