Urban regeneration cannot be understood as a simple building operation, but as a complex process that places the person, the quality of living and the cohesion of communities at the centre, in a vision that integrates economic growth, environmental sustainability and social rights. It starts from this reflection, under the motto “Shaping tomorrow, together” – which accompanied the 23rd European Week of Regions and Cities – #EURegionsWeek 2025 – the initiative organized as part of the most important European event on sustainable territorial development, which arrived in Calabria for the first time thanks to the commitment of ANCE Calabria, the Calabria Region and the Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria.
In the Green Room of the Regional Citadel of Catanzaro the seminar took place “Urban regeneration as a driver of economic development and social cohesion”promoted by ANCE Calabria with the patronage of the Region and the scientific contribution of ABITAlab, a research laboratory of the Department of Architecture and Design (dAeD) of the Mediterranean University.
The meeting brought together institutional representatives, academics, businesses and professionals in an open dialogue on the topics of sustainable development and urban regeneration, with the aim of identifying shared strategies capable of combining innovation, inclusion and quality of life.
Michele Laganà, president of ANCE Reggio Calabria, opened the proceedings and recalled the collective responsibility in building the future:
«Shaping tomorrow together – he said – means giving shape to a common vision in which citizens, businesses and institutions are part of a shared project. Regeneration is not just renovating or building, but giving meaning back to places and mending relationships, functions and identities.”
In her speech, MEP Giusi Princi underlined how the Calabrian initiative fits fully into the European path of cohesion and sustainability:
«This event represents a concrete model of multilevel governance, the same one that Europe promotes in the new Multiannual Financial Framework. Calabria is moving in the right direction, building synergies between universities, the productive world and regional institutions. This is how cohesion policy is done: listening to the territories and transforming needs into actions.”
Princi then underlined the value of the right to housing as a key principle of the new European policies:
«Housing accessibility is today the cornerstone of cohesion policy: physical space must also return to being a social space, a place where communities are built and social justice is practiced. In Europe we have foreseen the possibility of allocating up to 15% of resources to social policies and public housing. Only by recognizing housing as a universal right will we be able to talk about true urban regeneration.”
The vice-rector for Research of the Mediterranean University, Massimo Lauria, emphasized the role of knowledge and participation:
«Our university recognizes itself in the model of civic universityan institution that does not limit itself to producing knowledge, but that builds relationships with society and puts research at the service of people. Planning hope is a collective value, which is nourished only if we learn to look to the future with trust and co-responsibility.”
The contribution of the president of ANCE Calabria, Roberto Rugna, was central, who reiterated the urgency of transforming urban regeneration from an episodic practice to a structural and lasting policy:
«We can no longer afford cities that consume space, but we must build cities that generate life. In Calabria this challenge has a profound meaning: regenerating means restoring dignity to spaces, creating new opportunities for people, attracting young people, energy and businesses. And it also means strengthening a modern, sustainable construction chain capable of combining beauty, technology and participation.”
Rugna also highlighted the need for a unitary vision and certain rules:
«The national bill on urban regeneration represents an opportunity that we cannot miss. We need an organic regulatory framework, which coordinates PNRR, regional funds and European programmes, guaranteeing certain deadlines and transparent and coherent governance. Only in this way will we be able to move from pilot projects to permanent policies. And in this path social housing is a strategic key: giving a home does not just mean building buildings, but building communities.”
Ample space was dedicated to the contribution of Professor Consuelo Nava, director of the Department of Architecture and Design and scientific director of ABITAlab, who illustrated the results of the ReKAP Strategy, developed in collaboration with ANCE Calabria and the territorial sections of Reggio and Crotone:
«We have worked to build a Calabrian model of urban sustainability, based on knowledge, innovation and shared responsibility. Regeneration also means training people capable of taking care of their territory. Our group of young researchers represents concrete proof of Calabrian excellence that can compete in Europe.”
The second part of the debate, moderated by Michele Laganà, saw interventions by the general director of ANCE, Romain Bocognani, the manager of the Unitary Programming Department of the Calabria Region, Felice Iracà, and the president of Unindustria Calabria, Aldo Ferrara.
Bocognani recalled the need for a long-term vision:
«Whoever does not look to the next twenty or thirty years remains excluded from the challenges of the future. Cities of the future must be designed with quality of life, sustainability and resilience in mind. The new European programming offers the opportunity to redesign cohesion policy, making it more flexible and oriented towards citizens’ needs”.
Iracà proposed an innovative reflection:
«We need “quantum” urban planning, capable of adapting and responding to changes. The challenge is to create stable and transparent tools that make investments in social housing attractive and encourage collaboration between the public and private sectors.”
Ferrara concluded by highlighting the value of Calabria as an experimental laboratory:
«Urban regeneration is not just the construction of works, but the construction of communities. In Calabria we can and must transform the complexity of our territory into an opportunity for growth, becoming a national model of innovation, cohesion and sustainability.”
To close the proceedings, President Rugna thanked the speakers and participants for their contribution to the discussion, underlining
«the importance of continuing to work together, in a stable alliance between institutions, businesses, universities and citizens, to build a Calabria that can look to the future with vision and confidence».