The mayor of Rome, Walter Veltroni, has announced the start of a programme of public and private investment aimed at rejuvenating nine municipalities in the Rome suburbs. The sums are equal to the amounts spent on sprucing up central Rome for the Jubilee celebration in 2000. The programme will involve several hundred small projects for improving the quality of local life, create over 6,000 new jobs and strengthen education and training opportunities. The first initiative is likely to start in 2006 with the full programme of 445 works taking four to six years to complete. The plan envisages the construction or renovation of 30 schools, 30 cultural centres, 20 piazzas, 29 gardens, 22 parks, 27 cycling routes, eight sports facilities and a new museum of comic-strips.