Italy and China, between History and Nature. A network of networks for urban regeneration and territorial rebalancing

The paper illustrates part of an international research activity that a group of professors and researchers from the PDTA Department of Sapienza University of Rome has been carrying out on the topic of urban and territorial regeneration, within a framework of cultural and scientific collaboration with Chinese Universities. In particular, the research path is aimed at defining a "methodology" of analysis and planning for the regeneration of contemporary cities and territories characterized by the widespread presence of cultural and natural heritage, with particular reference to the historic infrastructures (citywalls, channels, historic roads) and ecological networks as founding elements of the “historic territory” (ANCSA,1990) and of the “historic urban landscape” (Unesco,2011). In consistency with the research path, the paper starts from the analysis of Italian ad Chinese historical urban contexts, combining three different disciplinary perspectives that involve structural and morphological issues with environmental ones. The contribution deepens integrated and multi-scalar regeneration strategies focused on the strengthening of the relations between public space systems, historic infrastructures and environmental networks. This network of networks requires the definition of strategic planning zones for urban and territorial planning and projects that involve, in the case studies, waterways.