Heritage built as enhancement opportunities to Contemporary City - Infrastructure Nodes and Railway Stations: three different case studies

Contemporary cities are experiencing a crisis generated by unsustainable models of development that have distorted the idea of modern city. Urban sprawl has led to a loss of identity and to socio-economic and environmental crises, directing the new themes of regeneration towards compact and polycentric city models. The built heritage therefore represents an opportunity for recovery, regeneration and enhancement to large areas, considering its spatial and identity potentials as well as its "container". In this context has been given increasing importance to infrastructural nodes and railway stations, considered to be of great architectural and representative value, despite being congested places and degradation catalysers. The rearrangement of transport towards more integral models is changing the role of the stations in hub and the strategic interchange nodes, modifying hence the areas around them as well. Therefore we open up scenarios for the enhancement of public spaces, the increase of services in the central areas and the inclusion of functions able to redefine the polarities in order to improve life in the consolidated city. The subject covered has been applied to three case studies of different complexity: • The improvement of the public space of the Roissypole station at CDG airport - Paris • New services for Amsterdam Zuid station - Amsterdam • The recovery of the historic centre of Rome around the Termini station - Rome