Collaborative & Adaptive Cities

The research group focuses on the role of Urban Planning in a time of socio-economic and environmental crisis that has re-oriented the priorities towards urban regeneration, sustainable development and adaptability, also with respect to rapid and unexpected changes like those that characterised the emergency linked to the coronavirus epidemic.

Architectural and landscape heritage, which our territories are particularly rich in, represents one of the fundamental resources from which to rethink urban life in from a perspective of regeneration and adaptation.

For this reason one of the main focuses of the research group is the historical city, a real "landscape" whose identity is defined by tangible elements – the urban form itself, the architectural heritage, the archaeological areas etc. – but also by skylines, visuals and landmarks, not to mention intangible elements such as activities, practices and cultural references, traditions and memory. If heritage and its management are therefore important keys to the interpretation of the current city and its future, research can only be interdisciplinary and open to considering the collaborative and procedural dimensions of urban transformations.

In this context urban design acquires a strategic value as a tool for experimenting with and verifying shared scenarios for the transformation of the city and the territory.

The group works on both national and international projects and with local authorities and communities for the development of practices of reuse and temporary urban transformation, for the promotion of pathways and tools for the shared care of urban common goods and the implementation of urban planning tools.

Scientific Head for the Department

Valentina ORIOLI

Structured professors

Anna Maria MANFERDINI

PhD

Eleonora FANTINI

Viviana LORENZO