PLACEMAKING ACROSS CONTEXT: LEARNING FROM POLVERIERA

During Placemaking Week Europe 2025 – Reggio Emilia this September, we have hosted the session “Placemaking Across Context: Learning from Polveriera.” The discussion explored how adaptive reuse and community-led regeneration can catalyse long-term social impact across different territorial and social contexts. Through the case of La Polveriera — a former military complex transformed into a civic and cultural hub — the session examined how architecture, governance, and social innovation intertwine to shape places that are both resilient and inclusive.

From Building to Community Infrastructure

La Polveriera represents a living example of placemaking as an ongoing process rather than a completed project. Its transformation from a disused industrial compound into a vibrant public space was made possible through a gradual, participatory approach. Stakeholders from the Third Sector, public institutions, and the local community collectively reimagined its role, turning it into a shared infrastructure for culture, work, and care.

The case prompts a broader reflection on the everyday management of regenerated spaces. Rather than being defined solely by design interventions, sustainable placemaking relies on mechanisms of shared stewardship and continuous negotiation among users. The first question guiding the session — “How can community engagement be leveraged to support the everyday management of the asset?” — highlighted the need for new governance models that integrate voluntary action, cooperative management, and institutional support.

Cultural Programming as Placemaking

A second theme addressed during the session focused on cultural programming. As the experience of La Polveriera demonstrates, the success of an urban regeneration project depends not only on the spatial quality of the intervention but also on the vitality of the activities it hosts. The design of a cultural programme — exhibitions, workshops, performances, and training activities — becomes a means to expand the community of users and foster a sense of belonging across diverse groups.

The question posed to the panel — “How can the cultural programme foster a wide and diverse network of users and stakeholders?” — resonated across different contexts, from small towns to rural communities. In all cases, placemaking acts as a mediator between physical space and social relationships, providing a framework through which inclusion and participation can be cultivated over time.

Design as a Driver of Social Innovation

The third guiding question — “How can the ongoing redesign, both of the building and the outdoor space, foster social innovation?” — shifted attention to the iterative nature of design. Unlike traditional architectural projects, the redesign of La Polveriera is conceived as a continuous process that evolves alongside the needs of its users. Temporary uses, flexible layouts, and participatory workshops allow the space to adapt while maintaining coherence with its social mission.

This approach positions design as a facilitator of social innovation, rather than its aesthetic expression. Architecture, in this sense, becomes the spatial infrastructure for relationships, care, and creativity.

Broader Implications: Scaling Placemaking

While rooted in the specific context of Reggio Emilia, the themes discussed extend to a variety of territorial scales — from the Nuovo Delfino in Rio Saliceto, to the Vetto Social Club, and up to the mountain-based Girotondo Basecamp in the Apennines. Each project demonstrates that the principles of placemaking — collaboration, adaptability, and inclusion — can be applied flexibly across different urban and rural settings.

These examples invite planners, designers, and policymakers to rethink regeneration as a process of capacity-building and network creation, rather than solely spatial transformation.

The session reaffirmed a core idea: placemaking is not about producing spaces, but about nurturing relationships that give spaces meaning. La Polveriera continues to evolve as a platform for experimentation — a place where design and community co-create shared value.

The dialogue in Reggio Emilia marked another step in this ongoing journey, reminding us that every act of regeneration is, ultimately, an act of collective imagination.