Event description
Piazza of Regeneration and Housing.
Parma LivingLab Academy – “Piazze in Movimento” is an international school promoted by the University of Parma as part of Parma European Youth Capital 2027. It invites students, young researchers and professionals to rethink Parma's public squares as comfortable, inclusive and shared urban spaces that can support social life, study, culture and civic participation. Through short lectures, field exploration, co-design workshops and innovative digital tools, participants work on eight city squares and imagine new forms of use, care and regeneration. The work develops around four themes: spaces for social interaction and civic life; pedestrian-oriented spaces that reduce the dominance of cars; climate-friendly spaces designed for adaptation; and inclusive, sensory spaces based on universal-design principles. The aim is to produce practical ideas and tools for making Parma's squares more liveable, accessible, sustainable and responsive to younger generations, while strengthening the relationship between university, city and community.
Activities
During one intensive week, eight squares in Parma become real urban laboratories. After an initial introduction to regeneration and public-space design, participants work in groups to carry out site visits, observations and preliminary mapping. The second day introduces public engagement, co-design, tactical urbanism and AI-enabled digital platforms, which are used to analyse the strengths and critical issues of each square. On Wednesday, meetings with experts, the local administration and stakeholders support the development of design concepts; on Thursday, groups turn these into replicable strategies, integrating environmental and social aspects and preparing boards, diagrams and storytelling materials. Outputs are brought together in a 'Piazza Activation Toolkit'. On Friday, the projects are presented to the Municipality, partners and the community to gather feedback and discuss possible developments and applications.
All the activities will be held in English language.