Designing Urban Future. Regional Design Visions for a Future River Contract on the Dora River

The international workshop Designing Urban Future. Regional Design Visions for a Future River Contract on the Dora River explores how Regional Design can be used as a strategic and visual tool to imagine new forms of urban nature in the context of a possible future River Contract for the Dora River in Turin. Moving beyond sectoral and purely technical approaches to river management, the workshop frames rivers as socio-ecological systems shaped by political choices, cultural imaginaries, and design practices. Through lectures, site visits, collective mapping, and design experimentation, participants will develop spatial visions that integrate regenerative design, nature-based solutions, biodiversity enhancement, and the concept of nature as a common good. The workshop emphasizes visualization as a critical practice to make ecological transitions visible, negotiable, and collectively discussable. By combining local institutional perspectives with international experiences from Europe and Latin America, the workshop aims to produce transcalar design proposals that connect climate adaptation, biodiversity, social inclusion, and urban life, contributing to the debate on river contracts as participatory and transformative planning instruments.

During the workshop, two events will be open to everyone:

• 23 February, 9:30–13:15: Opening Seminar with Stakeholders
• 26 February, 17:30–20:00: Public Presentation & Round Table

The workshop is organised by:

• Politecnico di Torino, Italy
• MSc in Urban and Regional Planning (DIST)
• MSc in Architecture for Sustainability (DAD)
• Federal University of Goiás, Brazil (PROCIDADE)
• Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (PROURB)

Partners:
University of Firenze
Polytechnic University of Valencia
Municipality of Turin
Metropolitan City of Turin
Municipality of Alpignano
Municipality of Collegno


Further information is available in the detailed programme attached.