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University of Verona, with the participation of Hannah Arendt Center, wins Cariverona call

In recent years, the field of city analysis, urban transformations, and the consequent changes in political action has become a key focus for the Arendt Center. Last year, we engaged with these topics through the “Città e libertà” conference series, and next Tuesday, November 12, we will begin a new series titled “Divenire città. Vita e progettazione urbana.” Over four sessions, we will delve into theoretical and practical issues that today pose challenges for urban design: the tangible bodies that animate city life, the shifting boundaries defining urban spaces, and the interconnections between the center and the periphery. — at the Department of Human Sciences, University of Verona.

Following this theoretical reflection, we conducted a practical exploration of Verona’s city spaces in collaboration with the architects and engineers of the COCAI association, the social cooperative Energie Sociali, and Comune di Verona. This resulted in the submission of the project “La linea rossa: percorsi urbani tra la fabbrica della conoscenza e la fabbrica della creatività” to a call for proposals (“Step”) launched by the Fondazione Cariverona.

Recent news confirms that, out of 46 applications, our project has been selected and will receive funding of 116,000 euros. The “Step” call is, in fact, aimed at supporting organizations that, when faced with everyday challenges, have chosen not to give in, not to wait passively for “someone else” to step in, but instead to roll up their sleeves, work together, and develop original, effective, and creative solutions capable of revitalizing the quality of life in their communities. People often believe that solutions to the issues facing communities can only come “from above” or “from outside” through the involvement of professionals, technicians, and experts. However, this mindset risks creating widespread feelings of helplessness, distrust, and low self-esteem: according to Censis, over half of Italians believe they have little influence in society, a percentage that rises above 60% among young people, while 80% feel that the country is irreversibly in decline (84% among younger generations). The call aims to challenge this perspective by awakening awareness of the role communities can play in creating change from the ground up.

The objective of “La linea rossa” is to enhance the university science hub in Borgo Roma as a transformative factor for the neighborhood. Throughout the project, we will network key players working with the 18-35 age group in the area, starting with the Università degli Studi di Verona, which will conduct a mapping project and a series of action-research workshops on the ways young people use, or can use, the spaces they engage with every day.

For more details, an article summarizing some program guidelines is available at: https://www.univrmagazine.it/2024/11/04/la-linea-rossa-percorsi-urbani-tra-la-fabbrica-della-conoscenza-e-la-fabbrica-della-creativita/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGdzP1leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHdRIXxkCxM6lhUMd91TOqAo-B-W_9t7Zck36au4yhiPz1r0ZZEBEMagvkg_aem_ZSefq5KKg5kgBT1PHAgoNw

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