Reuse in Santa Croce Neighbourhood
About this good practice
Urban regeneration process promoting the reuse of disused private properties to host functions of collective interest for the neighbourhood and citizens, such as cultural associations, social cooperatives, and educational workshops
In 2015, a public participation process was initiated to collect expressions of interest on proposals for transforming abandoned spaces and unused warehouses into places for culture, associationism, and more. The aim was to redevelop the neighbourhood context and foster new employment and entrepreneurial activities. This was followed by a design workshop, the application for national funding calls, and the inclusion of the properties in the Urban Regeneration Program for the Reggiane/Santa Croce area. Subsequently, the works were entrusted to STU Reggiane SpA (Urban Transformation Company, jointly owned by the Municipality of Reggio Emilia and Iren Rinnovabili Srl, focusing on the redevelopment of the Reggiane Mechanical Workshops area, particularly the construction of infrastructure for the Innovation Park, a new European hub for businesses and research). Among the warehouses, through the 'temporary reuse' approach, the former Mangimificio Caffarri now hosts activities for cultural, educational, and sports associations: REMIDA (Creative Recycling Center, promoting research on sustainability and creativity using industrial waste materials), the theatre association Mamimò, and the Taekwondo Tricolore Association.
Expert opinion
Resources needed
Total investment of 2.442.000 €, of which 991.000 € financed through the National Call for Urban Areas and Peripheries and the remaining part by STU Reggiane SpA.
The building is privately owned and has been leased to STU Reggiane SpA for a duration of twenty years.
Evidence of success
The practice has proven successful in transforming a disused area (2.400 m2) into a new place for culture, sports, community and relations, thanks to the coexistence of several associations and the integration of functions.
REMIDA Center is visited each year by over 6,000 people, including teachers, artists, students, administrators, and curious people from around the world. In the former Caffarri Mangimificio (feed mill), it organises workshops on sustainable development, open to citizens.
Potential for learning or transfer
The potential for learning lies primarily in the urban planning process implemented, which has involved diverse actors such as citizens, businesses, associations, and professionals, in the creation of a thriving area outside of the city centre.
The idea of turning a neighbourhood into a “laboratory of reuse” is able to prompt the creation of other similar projects in the rest of the city and in other contexts, aimed at fostering active citizenship processes, support the development of intercultural dialogue and recover the value of identity and collective memory.