Turin
The City of Torino, important economic centre and fourth Italian city, experienced a transition from factory town to tertiary pole focused on research&innovation, culture and tourism. This process started after the ‘80s economic crisis and was accompanied by 3 strategic plans (2000, 2006, 2015), a new City Masterplan (1995), a number of special programmes addressed to regenerate and redevelop abandoned and underused areas and to socially and economically accompany the post fordist transition, and by the commitment to organize large-scale international events such as the Winter Olympics in 2006.
The process of regeneration started from the city center, in reason of its historic, cultural and artistic heritage, which has been restored and promoted in a perspective of creation of a new identity for the city. The other key side of regeneration in Torino concerns the abandoned industrial sites which cover 10 million sqm on the city area, half of which have already been reconverted and given new functions. Torino has thus experienced the evolution that many cities in Europe are approaching, that is to trigger regeneration processes from existing assets including cultural heritage in its varied meanings (historic, industrial, natural).
Torino can mentor other cities both on practices and methodologies, and on problem-solving related to conflicts arousing whenever urban transformations take place.
Fundamental is the role of Urban Center Metropolitano as instrument that Torino has been using for over 10 years to involve the citizenship and local stakeholders in acknowledging and participating in the transformations experienced by the urban and metropolitan area.
Turin will be one of ROCK Role Model cities, exporting its regeneration models and experience to the Replicator Cities, in particular about sustainable re-use of the spaces and pulic-private synergies.