Spatial significance of new municipal engineering structures – the case of Italian eco-incineration plants

One of the indications of pro-environmental change is the construction of thermal waste processing plants, which occupy an excessive amount of space and are controversial structures in terms of public perception; however, they also create new potential possibilities for the areas in which they are placed. The objective of this study is to address the issue of the spatial significance of thermal waste processing plants from the points of view of accessibility, location and relations with the urban tissue; their architectural and visual significance within the environments they occupy is also considered. The study covered twelve Italian thermal waste processing plants located in varying spatial, economic and social conditions. The results of field analyses and the conclusions drawn from them can serve when conducting comparative studies of other structures of this type, both in Italy and further afield.