ULTRACALEM. Strategies for the Cultural and Urban Regenration of a Small Town in Central Apennine

The paper investigates the path developed so far within the framework of the research agreement “ULTRACALEM. The Cagli of the future. Strategic programme for a new vision of Cagli. Relevant themes, places and architectures for the urban and cultural regeneration of the city.” The research and design process involves the municipality of Cagli and the Department DICEA of UNIVPM and aims at imagining short, medium and long-term design strategies to reactivate a territory experiencing significant risks, such as depopulation. Careful mapping and reading of the city have been validated through community engagement and public presentations, to unveil “potential spaces”, selected areas that are neglect-ed or underused but rich in potential. Indeed, they are an important legacy for Cagli, closely linked to the stories of its inhabitants. The community engagement activities were crucial to involve local population in the research, ultimately guiding the final design visions based on the territory’s needs and desires. In working with and on the territory, the researcher-designer task is to manage the fundamental and fragile relationship with local actors, avoiding top-down solutions which are alien to the context and instead favouring new collaborative practices. These activities were fundamental in developing transformative strategies and project visions tailored to the territory. They facilitated a dynamic exchange between the perspectives of communities and the expertise of researcher-designers, ensuring that proposed interventions were grounded in real-world needs and aspirations. This inclusive approach fostered a collaborative environment, bringing together stakeholders and leveraging their collective knowledge to address the complexities of the territory. The trans-scalar and participatory approach, focused on reactivating existing building and in collaboration with administration and citizens, underscores the pivotal role of thoughtful architectural and urban design in the development of a shared vision of ULTRACALEM towards a more resilient and vibrant community.