Bologna is home to the oldest university in Europe, nestled in the heart of the historic centre. The university area has long been considered a hybrid place made of disconnected open spaces where little to no interaction, even conflicts, happened between students, residents and passersby, rich in hidden and often unknown cultural heritage treasures. Together with the University and its Urban Centre, Bologna transformed the university area into a living laboratory to co-design actions combining conservation of cultural heritage, innovation and environmental protection. The idea of redesigning Piazza Rossini was born during the participatory laboratory ‘U-Lab’ implemented in the university area.
To solve conflicting issues, regenerate the urban fabric and strengthen the identity of the area, Bologna launched Five Squares, a six-day event to reconnect open public spaces and give them back to citizens in a shared and participatory process. One of these spaces is Piazza Rossini, a public space of great historical and architectural value, which was transformed into a parking lot decades ago, in the middle of the university historical area.
Using participatory methods, listening to the wishes of citizens and co-designing with students, the municipality, its urban agency (FIU) and the University of Bologna installed a green carpet in the middle of the square instead of cars, a temporary installation conceived and designed with students.
Together with the University and FIU, Bologna transformed the university area into a living laboratory to co-design actions combining conservation of cultural heritage, innovation and environmental protection. The idea of redesigning Piazza Rossini was born during the participatory laboratory 'U-Lab' implemented in the university area, which was attended by over 250 people and from which emerged the need to restore a social dimension to the square, revalorise it and its surroundings, enhancing the collaboration of all the local actors (institutions, associations, students, etc.), while paying particular attention to greening and lighting as design elements. For too long prevented from gathering and socialising on the square, inhabitants can now experiment with new uses and rediscover and appreciate the details of the architectural treasures overlooking the square.
Additionally, as heat waves in Bologna are increasingly frequent and the city must adapt to present and future changes in the climate, the transformation of Piazza Rossini is a symbolic and demonstrative action to change behaviour and reduce temperatures in urban spaces.
The project has been promoted by the Municipality of Bologna, together with the Foundation for Urban Innovation, in charge of the operational implementation of the action together with the Architecture Department of the University of Bologna, and in collaboration with the Bologna Design Week and Unipolis Foundation. A large ecosystem of stakeholders has been involved in the whole project: from the listening and co-design phases within U-Lab, to the experimentation on Piazza Rossini and the whole university area.
Find more about the project here
