IN-PERSON: Livable Cities – New York

Abstract

The mission of universities is well known: on one side it is to produce new knowledge, on the other to continuously transfer this knowledge into teaching. More recently, at least in the Italian scenario, a Third Mission has been added to these first two. It deals with the technological transfer to the productive sectors and with the societal engagement at large. In the field of architecture, this last mission displays a possible double role of universities: as they are supposed to generally provide both innovative and more comprehensive solutions, they are somehow challenged to “put this theory into practice” when designing, realizing and managing their own facilities. In this framework, this paper will present two ongoing initiatives that Sapienza University is carrying on in Rome at that will eventually concur to the urban regeneration of two important quadrants of the city: Borghetto Flaminio and the Pietralata new Campus. Both of them fall into delicate roman environments (the former a very dense and historic area, the latter a great urban “left over” very close to the very centre of the city). Sapienza has interpreted these projects not only as expansions opportunities but also as possible high-end contribution for the urban regeneration of both areas.