Urban forestation: Strada Prelle

​​​​​Afforestation measures in the "triangle" formed by the railways of Novara-Mortara and Turin-Milan in the area to the south-east of Novara were launched in 2009, following a petition by the Committee for the Protection of the Historic Centre, supported by Legambiente, Pro Natura and other associations. The petition called for 10 000 trees to be planted to counteract damage to the landscape and the environment in the municipality. The petition was accepted by the municipal administration and, through its department for public green spaces, the first trees were planted on an area of approximately two hectares. Currently, the areas where the municipality has planted trees cover approximately eight hectares in total.

Given the territorial context of this particular case, the fact that areas that had been intended to be used for intensive cultivation of cereals were instead planted with trees to create forest cover, using indigenous trees and shrubs, can qualify as an environmental compensation measure, increasing the "ecological value" of the areas concerned.