The proGIreg Living Lab in Torino used nature for renewal and regenerating pronoting green infrastructure and land accessibility by:
- Creating green corridors by connecting already existing cycle paths, and pedestrian trails;
- Turning empty buildings into green infrastructures, i.e. green roofs and walls;
- Transforming brownfields into community gardens;
- Using regenerated soil to give new life to poor and non-fertile land
- Experimenting with collective farming practices as a tool for urban regeneration and social inclusion
- Involving educational institutions and residents to experiment with horticultural practices;
- Designing, managing and maintaining green areas and green infrastructure shared with local businesses, associations and citizens
The Mirafiori Sud district is a suburb of Turin characterized by poor-quality urban environments (neglected green and grey infrastructures) and social issues such as social segregation, poverty, and safety problems. The NbS implementations of proGIreg address the district’s social, economic, and urban problems. The Living Lab approach entailed the testing of specific NBs in real-life conditions by involving diverse stakeholders at an early stage in co-design and co-implementation processes, to boost collaborative and long-lasting engagement including vulnerable and marginalized groups
One of the pilot actions of proGIreg in the Mirafiori Sud district was the implementation of two green walls: an indoor green wall (20 m²) in the atrium of an elementary school lit by large roof windows, and an outdoor green wall (80 m²) of a homeless shelter build as self-supporting structure, owned by the City of Torino and managed by a social cooperative. Organisation of place-based educational activities and experiential learning provided information on the project, and raised awareness on the benefits of green walls for pupils and guests of the shelter. The implementation of these NbS successfully improved indoor and outdoor aesthetics and enhances thermic insulation of the buildings.
