From within: temporary use for collective change
Authors: Marta Arniani & Laura Martelloni
”We are coming to terms with the pressure that the imperative of growth has put on planetary and social boundaries. Biodiversity loss, rising temperatures, polarisation of wealth, mass migrations, and wars are overwhelming global phenomena. Those who actively participate in promoting change and advocacy navigate through a challenging terrain marked by avoidance and denial, frequently contending with eco- anxiety, burnout, and feelings of disempowerment, both on personal and collective levels. We believe that the solution rests in rising together as communities, fostering collective momentum for transformation, and demonstrating through tangible examples that making change collectively is not only achievable but imperative.
But where and how do we begin enacting change and making it tangible and stimulating for citizens, entrepreneurs, and policymakers? Urban areas that are already undergoing transformation and regeneration offer a perfect context. The challenge they face – how to transition to new identities, uses, significances, and infrastructural features that are sustainable and welcomed by citizens and businesses – is a hyperlocal version of the global need for a radical change of paradigm.”
This publication, written by Marta Arniani from Futuribile and Laura Martelloni, T-Factor coordinator, focuses on participatory temporary urbanism: the creative and collaborative process of shaping and crafting places during phases of urban transition and redevelopment, as a laboratory for the future of cities and the Planet.
With this book, we aim to showcase how temporary uses can be concretely leveraged during urban redevelopments towards sustainable, inclusive and equitable cities. By offering a curated systematisation of temporary uses and placemaking practices developed by T-Factor, we seek to inspire actions and share insights on how urban regeneration can become a participatory lab for addressing the major challenges of our time.