Green Networks and Vertical Landscapes in Genoa’s Hillside City

The urban fabric of Genoa constitutes a distinctive case within the Italian context. Its steep topography has generated settlement patterns that diverge from the regular grid layouts typical of nineteenth-century cities, producing an irregular configuration defined by the so-called Genoese block and its characteristic spatial setbacks. These interstitial spaces—public, private, or semi-public—form a network of pedestrian, visual, and vegetative connections that structure the city’s vertical landscape. The resulting urban canyons and green corri-dors not only enhance physical and visual permeability but also mediate between the built environment and the terrain, improving urban livability and ecological perfor-mance. Particular attention is given to the recognition and valorization of spontaneous vegetation, often found in neglected or residual areas, which plays a crucial role in urban ecological resilience. The proposed approach seeks to strengthen pedestrian and vegetative permeability through urban redesign, increased soil permeability, and the protection of scenic views—long a hallmark of Genoese planning culture. This case study contributes to a broader reflection on the design and management of open urban landscapes in Mediterranean environments, offering insights relevant to other cities with complex topographies. It forms part of the ongoing PRIN 2022 research project Green Urban Pervasive Proximity, which investigates how morphological and ecological frame-works can promote sustainable, human-centered urban design.