It is against this backdrop that the research report Valentino Masterplan was presented to the City, offering a strategic analysis of the role of the river park and, more generally, of the relationship between the network of green spaces and the urban river infrastructure. The research outlined a vision for the renewal of Turin’s city centres, suggesting – in line with the transformations of the 1990s linked to the Spina Centrale – a new phase of regeneration based on the enhancement of the River Po, its parks and the cultural heritage associated with it.

The study formed part of the policies promoted by the Department for Urban Care, Public Green Spaces, Parks and Rivers, building on initiatives relating to the regeneration of the riverbanks and the restoration of navigability on the River Po. This gave rise to the opportunity to extend the study to the entire Turin river system, with the aim of constructing an integrated and complementary narrative of urban centres, capable of bringing together urban and extra-urban green spaces and enhancing the ‘comb-like’ structure of the watercourses and adjacent areas.

The project was formalised in a memorandum of understanding between the Polytechnic University of Turin and the Compagnia di San Paolo, which supported its implementation. This gave rise to a two-year work programme, based on close collaboration between the municipal administration and the research group, under the supervision of the Foundation. This report sets out its outcomes, content and prospects.

NB – LOW-RESOLUTION DOWNLOAD – PLEASE CONTACT US TO RECEIVE THE HIGH-RESOLUTION FILE

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AirMAP was developed in response to the need to fill a gap in the information available regarding the expansion and historical evolution of short-term rentals facilitated by Airbnb in Italy. Institutional databases are often fragmented or incomplete, making it difficult for public decision-makers to assess the true scale of the phenomenon. The project aims to overcome these limitations by utilising datasets from AirDNA.

 

The FULL research centre has developed a bespoke database covering sixteen urban contexts, with the aim of producing a systematic and comparative mapping of the phenomenon, and has engaged and coordinated research teams from leading Italian universities, each dedicated to a specific city. For the first time, a range of diverse urban settings are being analysed using the same methodological approach, enabling a scientific comparison between different contexts. A report covering the whole of Italy has been produced, along with one for each of the following cities:

 

• Northern Italy: Bergamo, Genoa, Milan, Padua, Turin, Trieste, Venice.
• Central Italy: Bologna, Florence, Rome.
• Southern Italy and the Islands: Bari, Cagliari, Catania, Naples, Palermo, Reggio Calabria.

The analysis is structured across three geographical levels, derived from the relevant Local Labour Market System (Sistema Locale del Lavoro – SLL): the metropolitan capital (CM), the other municipalities within the SLL (OM), and the entire SLL as a single aggregate. The reports combine aggregated annual data (2017–2024) and monthly data for the most recent year (2024), including supply and demand indicators such as nights booked, beds, active units, average nightly rate, occupancy rate and revenue per unit and per host. The analysis also includes the spatial classification of listings in OM municipalities and CM cities.

 

A specific section is devoted to the professionalisation of the accommodation offering, through the classification of hosts into three categories: small hosts (1–2 properties managed), medium hosts (3–10 properties) and large hosts (10 or more properties). Finally, each report includes a thematic appendix compiled by the local research group, aimed at interpreting specific local dynamics.

Research groups involved:

• BARI – Mariella Annese, Fabrizio Di Alessandro, Gianfranco Viesti (Politecnico Bari)
• BOLOGNA – Alessandro Bozzetti, Silvia Bartolucci (UniBologna)
• CAGLIARI – Abir Benfradj, Michele Campagna, Laura Tolu (UniCagliari)
• CATANIA – Eliana Fischer, Teresa Graziano, Laura Saija (UniCatania)
• FLORENCE – Marco Bellandi, Alice Calamandrei, Giulia Chiara Ceresa, Valentina D’Ippolito, Federico Martellozzo, Camilla Perrone, Massimo Tofanelli (UniFirenze)
• GENOA – Lorenzo Barbanera, Emanuele Cinti, Igor Costarelli, Niccolò Morelli, Francesca Zagagni (UniGenova)
• MILAN – Silvia Mugnano, Valeria Marina Borodi, Riccardo Ramello (University of Milano-Bicocca)
• NAPLES – Gaia del Giudice, Cristina Mattiucci (UniNapoli – Federico II), Cecilia Pasquinelli (UniNapoli Parthenope)
• PADUA – Francesco Mauro, Lorenza Perini, Michelangelo Savino (UniPadova)
• PALERMO – Chiara Giubilaro, Marco Picone (UniPalermo)
• REGGIO CALABRIA – Benedetta Chiaro, Angelo Chiaro, Gabriella Pultrone (UniReggio Calabria)
• ROME – Antonia Astore, Carlo Cellammare (UniRoma – Sapienza), Luca Tricarico (CNR)
• TRIESTE – Elena Marchigiani, Valentina Novak, Andrea Peraz (UniTrieste)
• VENICE – Matteo Basso, Gianfranco Pozzer (IUAV), Giacomo-Maria Salerno (UniSiena)

The project was presented at a conference in Turin on 22 May 2026, and the reports are available in the RESOURCES section of the website.

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Registration form: https://polito-it.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QFV_2OVmTi6kAzP-tZCexw

Download the full programme (Italian)

Friday 12 June | Castel del Giudice
The day begins with an exploration of tools for the local area: the first panel will examine the legacy of the PNRR and future planning strategies for small towns, whilst the second will focus on ‘invisible infrastructure’, new economies and the essential services that make life in these towns possible.
In the afternoon, theory gives way to action with a Serious Game session, and concluding with a moment of celebration and sharing at the Community Warming Party.

09:30 Registration
09:45 Official greetings

10:00 Panel Next Gen EU Legacy
11:45 Panel The (In)visible Infrastructure

13:15 Light lunch

14:30 Serious game
18:30 Community Warming Party

Saturday 13 June | Gagliano Aterno
The forum moves to Abruzzo to tackle one of the most complex challenges: the right to live in inland areas. The “New Housing Models” panel will bring together institutions, academics and third-sector organisations to explore cooperative and innovative housing models.

10:00 Registration
10:15 Official greetings

10:30 Panel New Housing Models

12:30 Light lunch

The post RE-CODING VILLAGES / Turning vacancy into community appeared first on FULL | the Future Urban Legacy Lab.

The talk will summarise the developments at the EU level until today and provide insights how the research projects results are being used.

The post The Housing Question appeared first on FULL | the Future Urban Legacy Lab.

A detailed overview will be provided of the key characteristics of the short-term rental sector (from its prevalence to its economic performance, from its geographical distribution to the profiles of those managing the listings), illustrating how it has evolved over the years and outlining the situation in various Italian cities. Against the backdrop of the findings from the research, a discussion will take place on the main regulatory approaches in Italy and Europe, exploring their limitations, potential, constraints and effects.

Free admission. You can follow the conference online via this link.

Contact: full@polito.it

On this page, you can find further information about the research underpinning the conference, and you can download the reports containing the data as they become available.

Research groups participating in the project and due to speak at the conference:

• BARI – Mariella Annese, Fabrizio Di Alessandro, Gianfranco Viesti (Politecnico Bari)
• BOLOGNA – Alessandro Bozzetti, Silvia Bartolucci (UniBologna)
• CAGLIARI – Abir Benfradj, Michele Campagna, Laura Tolu (UniCagliari)
• CATANIA – Eliana Fischer, Teresa Graziano, Laura Saija (UniCatania)
• FIRENZE – Marco Bellandi, Alice Calamandrei, Giulia Chiara Ceresa, Valentina D’Ippolito, Federico Martellozzo, Camilla Perrone, Massimo Tofanelli (UniFirenze)
• GENOVA – Lorenzo Barbanera, Emanuele Cinti, Igor Costarelli, Niccolò Morelli, Francesca Zagagni (UniGenova)
• MILANO – Valeria Marina Borodi, Silvia Mugnano, Riccardo Ramello (UniMilano – Bicocca)
• NAPOLI – Gaia del Giudice, Cristina Mattiucci (UniNapoli – Federico II), Cecilia Pasquinelli (UniNapoli Parthenope)
• PADOVA – Francesco Mauro, Lorenza Perini, Michelangelo Savino (UniPadova)
• PALERMO – Chiara Giubilaro, Marco Picone (UniPalermo)
• REGGIO CALABRIA – Benedetta Chiaro, Angelo Chiaro, Gabriella Pultrone (UniReggio Calabria)
• ROMA – Antonia Astore, Carlo Cellammare (UniRoma – Sapienza), Luca Tricarico (CNR)
• TRIESTE – Elena Marchigiani, Valentina Novak, Andrea Peraz (UniTrieste)
• VENEZIA – Matteo Basso, Gianfranco Pozzer (IUAV), Giacomo-Maria Salerno (UniSiena)

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The origins of cross-border institutions date back to the second half of the 1950s, when sub-national authorities across European borders felt the need to establish structured forms of cooperation in order to tackle common problems or to seize shared opportunities for development and for improving the quality of life for border communities. These initiatives were taken up and supported primarily within the Council of Europe, partly as a means of fostering peace following the Second World War. This led to the creation of the first ‘Euroregions’ (the first is traditionally identified as having been established on the border between Germany and the Netherlands by three municipal associations in 1958), followed by the emergence of ‘Working Communities’, generally focused on economic development and covering a wider area. At the same time, in 1972, the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) was established – the first collegial body representing the interests of border regions.

With the first reform of the Structural Funds (in 1989) and the establishment of a genuine European regional policy, cross-border cooperation was allocated specific funding through the creation of the Interreg programmes.

Since the 1990s, thanks in part to the resources made available under cohesion policies, attempts to institutionalise cross-border and territorial relations have multiplied; it is in this context that the adoption of the EGTC Regulation must be understood; since 2006, this Regulation has sought to provide a ‘ready-to-use’ tool for the establishment of cross-border, transnational and interregional bodies at sub-national level.

EGTCs have grown in importance and become increasingly widespread in recent years, partly due to the ever-greater strategic focus on European territorial cooperation, which has been one of the priority macro-objectives of cohesion policy since 2007. Furthermore, whilst the Covid-19 pandemic has, on the one hand, highlighted the fragility of integration processes at sub-national level, with local and regional border actors finding themselves caught off guard by national border closures often adopted unilaterally and suddenly by Member States; on the other hand, it has also strengthened a coordinated movement of European border regions, which are strongly calling for recognition of their specific status and a greater expansion of cross-border public services. The issue of cross-border cooperation and the instruments dedicated to it is now highly topical and relevant.

As of August 2025 (the latest available update), 91 groups operating within and across the European Union were listed in the official EGTC register (managed by the Committee of the Regions); of these, fourteen include Italian participants. Furthermore, other EGTCs involving Italian entities are currently being established, with processes at various stages of development.

The experiences of EGTCs inevitably share certain common features, given that they are based on the same legal framework. At the same time, however, they also exhibit numerous differences, which can be identified and analysed from various perspectives. These include the specific characteristics of the territories in which they are located, the year of establishment and thus their longevity, the objectives they choose to pursue, the governance models they adopt, the main sources of funding and their projects, the level of integration achieved and experience gained, the level of political and technical involvement, their shared membership of certain Member States, and the possible participation of non-EU territories.

Until now, there has been no in-depth, systematic study of the experiences of EGTCs in Italy that could, on the one hand, help us understand what has been achieved so far through this instrument and what the future prospects are; and, on the other hand, enable the Groups themselves to get to know one another by learning through an exchange of experiences and best practices.

The project “European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation in Italy: Current Status and Policy Recommendations” aims to fill this gap. Funded as part of the ITALIAE2 Project, the project stems from an agreement between the Department of Regional Affairs and Autonomies (DARA) of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, which is responsible for processing applications for authorisation to establish EGTCs and for maintaining the National Register of EGTCs (pursuant to Article 46 of Law No. 88 of 7 July 2009) , and the Institute for Studies on Regional, Federal and Autonomous Systems of the National Research Council (CNR ISSIRFA). To carry out the planned activities, CNR ISSIRFA has chosen to collaborate with two centres of recognised prestige with specific expertise in the field of territorial cooperation: the FULL – Future Urban Legacy Lab at the Polytechnic University of Turin and the Institute for Comparative Federal Studies at EURAC Research.

The activities carried out during the project period (July 2024 – December 2025) can be divided into three categories:

Research activities: the project aimed to examine the EGTC instrument and its practical implementation in Italy, including through a direct survey of the experiences of Italian public bodies in this area;

Support activities: the project provided a platform for existing EGTCs and those in the process of being established to connect with one another and discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by this instrument. Specific support activities were also carried out for a number of EGTCs currently being set up;

Regulatory support activities: the project provided a forum for discussing the European and national regulatory frameworks and proposing that the latter be brought into line with the changes introduced by Regulation 1302/2013.

This volume covers all these activities and is structured as follows.

Chapter 1 presents a review of the main existing literature on EGTCs at national and international level. In addition to providing an overview of the state of the art in publications that have examined the EGTC experience over the last 20 years, the review served as the starting point for identifying the outstanding issues subsequently addressed in the analysis of EGTCs in Italy. Chapter 2 outlines the current regulatory framework, at European and national level, governing EGTCs and discusses prospects for reform. It also presents aspects of national legislation in certain European countries, particularly those hosting EGTCs with Italian participants. Chapter 3 presents, through a comprehensive set of maps, an overview of EGTCs with Italian participants, described and categorised on the basis of the various elements that characterise them (e.g. Italian/foreign law; year of establishment; type of territorial cooperation; type of participating actors; resources mobilised). The chapter also includes a description of each EGTC and the types of activities carried out. Chapter 4 reports on the research activities carried out. Following a brief methodological introduction, the survey results are presented, organised around four main themes: internal organisation (bodies and decision-making processes; any internal regulations; frequency of meetings, staff management, etc.); funding and resources (sources of funding, with a particular focus on Interreg programmes, and use of resources); external organisation (institutional relations at various levels; relations with the local area; visibility and communication); administrative issues (related to the implementation of activities and the cross-border nature of the bodies). Chapter 5 discusses the potential and challenges of EGTCs in Italy, based on the findings of the analysis. It examines the added value of the EGTC instrument, including in light of the different types and approaches identified, as well as the main limitations and issues arising from its application and any future prospects and potential for improvement. Furthermore, based on the study’s findings, the chapter identifies several key elements to be taken into account when establishing an EGTC. Chapter 6 discusses the operational activities carried out as part of the project, including a series of online seminars (held between May and June 2025) and support activities for training initiatives; the possibility of replicating the adopted model is also discussed. Finally, Chapter 7 sets out a number of conclusions and recommendations for DARA and for the optimal use of the EGTC instrument in the Italian context.

The report is accompanied by two appendices: a checklist setting out the steps required to carry out the preliminary assessment of EGTCs; and an extensive bibliography on European territorial cooperation and EGTCs. The research and support work – and therefore this volume – presents the results of an initial attempt to systematise and share the knowledge accumulated by EGTCs with Italian participants, almost 20 years after the adoption of Regulation 1082/2006. The findings of the research paint a picture of a dynamic and evolving instrument, which has so far enabled very significant results to be achieved and, at the same time, appears not yet to have fully realised its potential. From this perspective, the volume also offers a series of ideas for further study and activities, in which research and support can bolster the effectiveness and usefulness of European territorial cooperation initiatives.

The post EGTC – European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation in Italy appeared first on FULL | the Future Urban Legacy Lab.

Border regions exhibit considerable territorial diversity. They may be peripheral or metropolitan, and the border itself may be a mountain range, a river or a plain. Disparities can be very high even along the same border, as can differences in labour markets and mobility patterns (Hippe et al. 2024). At the same time, political cultures and multi-level governance systems on both sides of the border can be very different, often characterised only by selective cross-border agreements. Territorial diversity in border regions can therefore be highly complex.

A paradoxical situation can be observed: although the importance of cross-border integration is widely recognised, governance solutions are often incremental and analytical insights remain limited (Berzi et al. 2026). It is against this backdrop that the CROSSGOV project was launched, with the aim of achieving a ‘new level’ of analytical understanding and implementing measures to unlock the potential of governance in border regions.

The CROSSGOV project supports EU, national and regional policies in addressing the following key questions:

• How should cross-border functional areas in Europe be defined? How can analytical definitions be aligned with the actual realities of the cross-border functional areas in which people live and work?

• How can we expand our understanding, based on indicators, of how border regions function within a complex data landscape?

• What are the main patterns and dynamics, as well as the challenges and solutions, within border regions and their cross-border functional areas?

• What governance structures are in place in cross-border regions? How can vertical and horizontal policy coherence be ensured in order to harness the potential of cross-border functional areas?

Addressing both the functional and governance aspects of border regions across Europe, the project is organised into three activities. Tasks 1 and 2 focus on the European level and involve a review of academic and policy-relevant literature on border regions, with a particular focus on cross-border functional areas. A further key output is the pan-European database, which will provide cross-border spatial data.

Task 3 provides a complementary analysis of the functional areas and governance structures of the ten study areas, discussing not only the current situation but also exploring future scenarios for cross-border contexts with regional stakeholders.

The FULL centre contributed to the ESPON CROSSGOV project by working on this final report and on the case studies of Espace Mont-Blanc and Kras-Carso-Trieste.

• Official website ESPON featuring all the information and research outputs
• ESPON page for the Final Report and its annexes
• Casi di studio analizzati da FULL: Espace Mont Blanc e Kras-Carso-Trieste

The post CROSSGOV appeared first on FULL | the Future Urban Legacy Lab.

Post-Office Turn investigates how work digitalization is reshaping the urban and architectural landscapes of Milan and Turin. The research combines urban-scale analysis with building-scale observation to understand the transformative potential of the ordinary office stock. It integrates mapping, morphological study, policy analysis, and design-based inquiry to explore how existing buildings can “learn” to become residential or hybrid spaces in response to structural shifts in work patterns. By framing adaptive reuse as both an environmental necessity and an opportunity for low-carbon urban regeneration, the project aims to contribute to contemporary debates on the future of cities and the sustainable reactivation of their built legacies.

Aims and Objectives

This research focuses on the adaptive reuse of ordinary buildings, with particular attention to office stock as a key site of transition in cities undergoing economic, social, and environmental transformation. Vacancy, obsolescence, and changing work practices make office buildings a crucial testing ground for contemporary reuse strategies.
The project investigates emptiness as both a physical condition (vacant surfaces, underperforming structures) and a systemic condition (changes in labour, policies, governance, and markets). It examines how reuse practices unfold across different scales and how design, policy, and environmental knowledge interact in shaping new transformation pathways.

Objectives:

• Detect and analyze spatial patterns of vacancy in office building stocks in Italy, with a specific focus on Turin and Milan.
• Document reuse and conversion practices, identifying technical, social, economic, and regulatory drivers in a comparative perspective.
• Connect architectural transformation with urban governance, planning frameworks, and collaborative design processes.
• Assess the environmental, social, and economic implications of reuse, with particular attention to embodied carbon, material cycles, and lifecycle performance.

Methods

The project employs a multilayered comparative framework, integrating different forms of knowledge production and representation:

• Urban data analysis to detect vacancy patterns and characterize office stocks at multiple scales.
• GIS mapping to visualize spatial distributions, morphological structures, and transformation potentials.
• On-site fieldwork to document architectural conditions, ongoing interventions, and local practices.
• Comparative architectural redrawing, focusing on typology, depth, façade systems, circulation, and spatial adaptability.
• Historical and policy research linking macro-urban narratives with building-scale transformations.
• Environmental and energy analysis, assessing embodied carbon and lifecycle implications.
• Design-based inquiry to explore adaptive reuse strategies and prototype transformation scenarios.

The methodology builds upon the Manhattan pilot study developed for the 14th São Paulo Biennale (2024–2025), which tested mapping protocols, analytical tools, and documentation methods. The Italian study will:

1. Test the transferability of these tools to metropolitan regions characterized by different governance structures, building stocks, and regulatory conditions.
2. Challenge and refine the methodology, producing a context-sensitive framework adaptable to diverse urban legacies.

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Developed between September 2025 and February 2026 by more than 50 international students of the Master of Science in Architecture for Sustainability (MASt), the design studio approached the Bormida as an environmental and social infrastructure capable of connecting landscapes, communities and productive practices. The river was observed not only in its physical and biological dimensions, but also as an archive of memories and as a possible structural framework for new forms of inhabiting, production and (not only human) use of the territory.

Through maps, drawings, models and installations, the exhibition presents the outcomes of research and design proposals that explore the relationships between water and communities, landscape and territorial infrastructures, highlighting often latent potentials and offering a reading of the river as a shared space of design.

The inaugural event will be held on Saturday, 21 February 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Silk Museum of the former Monesiglio Spinning Mill and represents the final stage of a research and project that lasted almost five months, involving over 50 students from 21 countries.

The post Interfaces in Valle Bormida vol.1 appeared first on FULL | the Future Urban Legacy Lab.

The internationalisation of universities and the increase in the student population have an impact both on urban regeneration processes, through investment and physical transformation, and on the housing market, which is under increasing pressure due to the demand for student accommodation and competition from other forms of residential accommodation. In this context, housing is taken as a key to understanding broader urban dynamics and the conditions of a complex and potentially fragile student population, with repercussions on the right to education.

Interdisciplinary research, spanning urban planning, geography and sociology, analysed urban and university policies, local housing systems and students’ living conditions. This was accompanied by monitoring of medium- to long-term housing trajectories, supported in the case of Turin by the OSA – Osservatorio Student* e Abitare project, coordinated by Marco Santangelo (DIST) and funded by the DIST Department of the Polytechnic University of Turin, with the aim of guiding more inclusive and evidence-based public policies.

The study day is divided into two parts. The morning session (9:00–13:00) involves partner universities and national institutions in a reflection on the tools adopted in third mission and public engagement policies and on the role of universities in urban policies, with particular attention to the theme of housing.

The afternoon session (2:30–5:30 p.m.) will feature a discussion with national and international researchers on four key themes related to the transformations taking place in Italian university cities: the financialisation of student housing, studentification, political narratives of the knowledge economy, and the right to education as a right to the city.

For further information, please write to full@polito.it or erica.mangione@polito.it.

The conference is organised as part of the Project of National Interest (PRIN PNRR 2022) entitled LINUS – Living the University City, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU through the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) with PNRR funds, in collaboration with the departmental project OSA – Osservatorio Student* e Abitare / DIST.

A general report on the day and documents presented are available on Poliflash.

The full recording of the conference is available in the section Media.

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