Reggio Emilia stands as a dynamic intersection of history, innovation, and inclusivity, where the historical legacy of resistance continues to shape today’s strong culture of social cooperatives, community engagement and civic activism. These values have shaped the way the city approaches inclusive urban development, particularly in balancing the needs of diverse communities. The active network of local associations fosters a sense of collective responsibility, ensuring that solidarity and mutual aid remain central to urban life. At the same time, Reggio Emilia’s commitment to well-being—through inclusive urban design, sustainable consumption, and local food systems—ensures that all residents, including vulnerable populations, enjoy a high quality of life.

In navigating the challenges of balancing its historic centre with the demands of an innovative district, the city is rethinking how mobility, urban design, and social welfare can create a more connected, resilient, and inclusive urban ecosystem. This blend of historical richness and modern innovation provides an ideal backdrop for exploring contemporary challenges, such as social inclusion, accessibility, and adapting welfare systems to address the evolving nature of urban marginality.

Reggio Emilia aims to leverage the upcoming Placemaking Week to get inspired by international best practices, align with electoral priorities, and showcase its best practices in urban development. The festival offers a unique platform for the city to highlight the successes of its placemaking initiatives, emphasizing how a medium-sized city like Reggio Emilia can innovate and adapt to contemporary urban challenges. At the same time, it presents an invaluable opportunity for mutual learning, allowing the city to engage with international experts and practitioners in placemaking, drawing on global insights to refine and enhance its own urbanist strategies. 

Designing cities for all: Valuing diversity as an approach to urban design 

Placemaking is key to creating cities that truly embrace diversity and bring people together in their cultural and generational differences. These cities are designed to be physically accessible and socially welcoming, offering spaces where people from different cultures, backgrounds, and with various vulnerabilities can feel valued, comfortable, and safe.

Good placemaking helps build a sense of belonging and promote social cohesion, allowing everyone—kids, the elderly, women, and people from diverse cultural backgrounds— to thrive.

It’s not just about making cities physically accessible; it’s about making sure people feel included and part of the community. By using thoughtful approaches that promote inclusivity, we breathe life into our urban spaces. We want to make sure everyone, especially newcomers and marginalized groups, feel welcomed, supported, and free to engage in public spaces without fear. Inclusive placemaking turns cities into vibrant, dynamic places where diversity is celebrated, and everyone plays an important role in the community’s growth.

Heritage Reimagined: New Life for Historic Centres

Historic centres lie at the heart of each city, full of stories, charm, and timeless architecture. Over time, historic centres have faced challenges. Local shops have closed down, affordable housing is hard to find, and there’s a struggle to maintain liveability and a community vibe.

Adapting to how people live and leisure today, while keeping the character and vibe of these historic centres, is tricky. We need to find ways to change from places to buy to places to be: to live, to meet, to create, both during the day and at night. City centres regain their vitality when all citizens – children, teens, adults and elderly – have reasons to live or engage there.

Reviving historic cores takes a careful approach, finding the right balance between holding onto the past and meeting the needs of the future. Placemaking and meanwhile uses of social, cultural organisations provide opportunities to imagine a new future.

Places of well-being: mid-sized cities in today’s world

Urban health becomes more of a concern. More people and resources continue to pour into cities and access to social amenities and green, quiet and healthy spaces becomes scarce for many. It’s increasingly important to invest in solutions that improve quality of life, foster communities and encourage equitable and sustainable development.

Social quality and equity needs to be embedded into the urban fabric to foster communities where social interaction, trust, and communal support thrive, alongside physical and mental safety. This helps to create attractive and inclusive places, particularly for families, children, persons with disabilities and minority groups. Cities need to facilitate physical activity, cultural exchange and aspire to healthy lifestyles. This includes the design, the use, the programming and the maintenance of public space and amenities.

Cities like Reggio Emilia are leading the way with initiatives like Farmacie Comunali Riunite (FCR), a publicly owned multi-service organisation that manages municipal pharmacies but also provides essential social and healthcare services, including housing, day centres, home support, social inclusion programmes, and educational support for children and young people.

Within this theme, we will also explore the role of sustainable consumption, the green economy, and social cooperatives in promoting eco-friendly solutions that enhance the resilience of urban ecosystems. Additionally, we will examine the crucial role of access to local food systems and green spaces in supporting urban health and well-being.

Connected Journeys: Rethinking Mobility Across Scales

Mobility shapes how cities interact, and influences the flow of people, goods, and ideas. This theme explores opportunities for mobility across scales while decreasing car dependency: from intercity connectivity to local networks.

In midsize cities it is essential to strengthen how we move between cities while also keeping things accessible locally. We’re exploring how different modes of transport -walking, cycling, public transport- can bring people closer together and make getting around easier for everyone. Moving away from car-dependency and allowing for transport systems with smooth connections to other, local transport modes, is the goal.

Doing this right will evoke other challenges. High-speed intercity train networks need to be accessible easily for everyone. Local mobility hubs can facilitate this access and act as new social hearts of the community, now providing mobility sharing systems (bicycles, scooters, cars) and potentially other shared amenities. As car-depency decreases, public space is freed up and parking garages need to find new uses, providing opportunities for new vibrant, inclusive and social places. Let’s explore how new mobility systems can catalyse social life and community interaction.