Identifying possible sites to be allocated to training facilities in existing structures, with particular attention to those present in schools; identifying the areas of greatest deficiency in which to build new facilities for grassroots sport; providing a fundamental tool for the Legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic project that also remains in the city after the Games. These are the objectives of CONI and the Committee of Rome 2024 that, thanks to the data collection work done by a team of young engineers and architects, along with involvement from the Ministry of Education, Rome's Administration, Municipalities and Metropolitan City, have created the first ever complete mapping of the Capital's sports facilities.

The significance of the census was illustrated today at a press conference at the Stadio Flaminio: 2,221 facilities, of which 1,000 are public (including schools), 6,336 areas of activity, over 9,600 photos on the state of the facilities, which will be available online: four months of surveys, from April to July 2016 in order to create a database containing demographic information (addresses and contacts), ownership and management, technical (activity and service spaces), the accessibility for athletes and spectators, the activities that can be carried out within the structures, as well as the presence of defibrillators and any renewable energy sources. An operation that also gave the opportunity to the young graduates who committed so much into this research to sign 25 employment contracts.

Rome 2024, exactly one year away from the IOC's decision as to which city will host the 33rd edition of the Olympics and Paralympics, is renewing its commitment to implement a project that will benefit the city and the country to improve the quality of life of citizens. A challenge that, thanks to the Games, will allow the construction of 15 new sports facilities on the outskirts with greatest need, the upgrading of at least 20 sports educational facilities in the suburbs, on the basis of the Census results, the transformation of the 17,000 accommodation units planned for the Olympic Village in Tor Vergata into a new University Campus with 6,000 new residential units, to serve students and the Hospital.

A great celebration of sport for everyone; an event that can kick start the city and that has among its objectives the strengthening and the development of works that will change mobility in Rome (all initiatives are already present in the Rome Capital General Plan or other regional or national planning documents); the enhancement of green areas, the river Tiber, and the creation of new parks for residents, improving the network of cycle paths; the development of accessibility of all sports facilities intended for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, grassroots sports facilities, which will then be used by schools and residents, but also for public transport, stations, public transport areas (metro, railways, buses), and the areas of public interest (tourist areas, shopping areas, hotels, hospitals, museums), in line with the most modern standards connected to mobility.

A genuine documentary heritage, this analysis of sports facilities in the Capital is a further step that fits within a broader legacy project, the inheritance that the Organising Committee, regardless of the Olympic bid, wants to leave to the city and its residents, and which follows the existing initiatives for Rome 2024, aimed at increasing youth sports education and the dissemination of topics such as diversity, social inclusion and a healthy lifestyle, including meetings between the Committee and 2,500 students from 50 primary and secondary schools; the start of school-work alternation programmes with 10 classes in 5 schools; the start of a workshop project that has brought 25 Paralympic athletes to 20 suburban schools; the involvement of 80 young startups to collaborate on aspects of the bid; the launch, with the support of ActionAid and the Scholastic Regional Office, of a multimedia kit for all schools in Rome to learn the values of sport.

CONI president, Giovanni Malagò, opened the conference, emphasising the importance of the initiative. "First of all, I would like to thank the City Council for allowing us to use the Flaminio. We could have even held the event in Tor Vergata and Valco San Paolo, as symbolic places to redevelop. We wanted a nationwide mapping of facilities to understand how and where to operate. It may seem trivial, but it is an initiative to avoid infrastructural mistakes and channel investment in the right direction. Rome's census was funded from the bid's funds and is the first complete in the whole of Italy: there are some 2,221 facilities. Of course, the measures deemed necessary will be taken in the event that the bid goes forward, by means of a process with maximum transparency ".

Francesco Romussi, Head of Sports Facilities Heritage Management and Consultancy of CONI and Venue Planning Manager of Rome 2024, went into detail: "the monitoring was part of a census which today covers 11 regions with the aim of achieving an unparalleled homogenous online mapping in order to facilitate usability. Rome's census aims to leave a legacy for the city, to identify areas lacking facilities and evaluate where to place the sports structures and set up training facilities for the Games. The task took four months working alongside all the public stakeholders and is based on a database containing all the technical requirements, current utilisation, accessibility and running costs. The platform would be provided free of charge to the City Council. A census which covers 6,336 activity spaces, with data that will be available online: the database contains information regarding demographics (addresses and contacts), ownership and management, technical data (activity and service spaces), accessibility for athletes and spectators, activities that can be carried out within the structures, as well as the presence of defibrillators and any renewable energy sources. An operation that also gave the opportunity to the young graduates who committed so much into this research to sign 25 employment contracts. Private facilities still exceed public ones and the average facility (0.77 per 1000 inhabitants) is lower than that of the regional capitals surveyed in the recent national census, although the offer of actual sports areas is in line with that of other capitals (2.21 per 1000 inhabitants), second only to that of Trieste (2.74) and Florence (2.36). Developments are possible with geomarketing tools to understand how and where to take action. "

Diana Bianchedi, General Coordinator of Rome 2024: "For the next steps of the dossier it was important to understand where to locate 15 training facilities anticipated for the Games and also understand how and where to take action so as to satisfy the needs of residents and of the Capital. Thanks to the Games mobility in Rome will change. It will be a more accessible city, in terms of stations (metro, bus, train etc.) and hotels. The "cura del ferro" will be the heart of the planned infrastructure works, precisely because the "Hubs" that are home to the sports facilities are located at strategic points on the network. In particular, the closure of Rome's rail loop, with the construction of new stations at the Foro Italico and other nerve centres of the city, will help to speed up movement throughout the area and the interchange between the ten regional railway lines and the three metro lines. It will finally become possible to reach the Foro Italico area by rail and have fast connections between all the key urban transport hubs- for example, Tiburtina, Ostiense, San Pietro, Trastevere - through new trains and the interchange with the metro lines. The project will shorten the travel time between the different competition venues of the Games, allowing quick movement".

The Chairman of the Organising Committee, Luca di Montezemolo, summarised the content of the initiative and clarified some key steps to explain the bid. "The census is crucial and can also help to provide comprehensive information. We are an organising committee, in a year's time - if we win - the City of Rome and CONI will identify necessary governance and a team for organising the event. We have done a great job to get across the sporting and non-sporting reasons to award the Games to Rome. It is wrong to make comparisons with the past because with the introduction of Agenda 2020 by the IOC the rules of engagement have changed, thanks to the use of temporary facilities, the ability to locate events outside the city and have a guaranteed contribution of 1.7 billion dollars. Rome has 70% of the facilities available on which to work, the event would provide almost 200,000 jobs, a 2.4% increase in GDP during that period and an increase in tourism to bring greatness to the capital one of the most visited places in the world. The Games also would change the viability of Rome, allowing it to become an even more accessible city. The budget is set at 5.3 billion euro and is focused on transparency: the operating costs will amount to 3.2 billion and will be covered by contributions from the IOC and other revenue from licensing activities, marketing, ticketing and sponsors. We are thinking of a Games with a transparent budget and reduced costs. A Committee of guarantors consisting of leading figures from the legal world has already been appointed and we have asked ANAC to follow any Olympic Committee activities, under the supervision of the Court of Auditors. "

The conference was also attended by the Secretary General of CONI, Roberto Fabbricini, the CEO of Coni Servizi, Alberto Miglietta, Francesco Febbraro, architect from the City Council of Rome, numerous representatives from the world of sport including Alessandra Sensini, Carlton Myers, Carlo Molfetta, Paralympic champion, Luca Agoletto and other disabled athletes.