The garden as an alement of regeneration in the contemporary city Brief general considerations fro jury

The garden has re-emerged in contemporary urban discourse as a strategic device for regeneration, positioned between ecological infrastructure, public space, and cultural heritage. This contribution reflects on the role of the garden as an element of urban regeneration through critical considerations developed within the framework of the Call for Visions | Gardens: Regeneration Cells in Contemporary Cities. Drawing from the perspective of the jury, the paper does not aim to propose a unified model, but rather to outline recurring themes, tensions, and opportunities that emerge from the submitted visions. Particular attention is given to the reinterpretation of the garden’s traditional characteristics - such as enclosure, limits, and symbolic value - in relation to current challenges including climate change, water scarcity, and the risk of greenwashing. The text discusses the balance between continuity and innovation, emphasizing the potential of gardens as adaptive, small-scale interventions capable of activating broader regenerative processes. It also addresses critical issues related to representation and the growing use of artificial intelligence in design visions, questioning the relationship between conceptual thinking and visual output. Overall, the contribution frames the garden as a flexible and process-oriented regenerative device, capable of mediating between past and future, local identity and global challenges within the contemporary city.