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2022 AIA/黨Ƶ Intersections Research Conference: Resilient Futures

Branding4Resilience. Co-Design As A Tool to Enhance and Transform Inner Territories Through Architecture

Fall Conference Proceedings

Author(s): Maddalena Ferretti, Sara Favargiotti, Barbara Lino & Diana Rolando

Inner territories are a central issue that is being discussed all over Europe. More than 60% of the European population live in peripheral contexts outside of main urban conurbations. Yet, the contexts addressed by the Italian National Strategy on Inner Areas – covering approximately the 60% of Italy and hosting nearly 13.5 million people – are often lacking successful regional policies and systemic territorial approaches to achieve effective transformations. In order to tackle with such fragile areas, a new development path has to be defined through the engagement of communities and the involvement of local actors. This contribution aims to present and discuss the results of a research project of relevant national interest in Italy, “Branding4Resilience” (B4R), that investigates fragile territories around the Italian peninsula. Branding is intended here as an engine to start processes of re-appropriation and re-settling in less-favoured areas. Enhancing small villages through minimal tourist infrastructures is thus only a starting point of a larger transformation path that aims at resilient communities and new open habitats. B4R provides expertise for co-designing actions and co-visioning scenarios, promoting a new use of heritage and local resources. B4R, exhibited at the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2021, explores and compares the 4 areas through an interdisciplinary perspective, operatively intervening on selected inner territories in Marche Region, Trento Province, Piedmont, and Sicily. A new role of these peripheral contexts in relation to growing metropolitan areas is investigated through explorative and collaborative design approaches involving communities. The focus of this contribution is the co-design phase of the project, that looked at paradigmatic cases in the four regions. The external and expert approach of the co-design workshops helped envisioning design solutions and systemic approaches that in the future will define tailored visions and strategic scenarios and guidelines in cooperation with public institutions.

Volume Editors
Gail Napell & Stephen Mueller

ISBN
978-1-944214-42-13