What are the strategic projects that helped transform this former industrial city into a knowledge city? What are municipal responsibilities, and to what extent do citizens and entrepreneurs help in shaping this metropolis? This was the focus of our 8th Metropolitan Field Trip: Turin. From 17-20 March, 2016 we studied the dynamics of this European metropolis.

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| MFT Bucharest – MFT Rome – MFT Budapest – MFT Copenhagen MFT Athens – MFT Lisbon – MFT Brussels - [MFT Turin]
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Join the Turin Field Trip
| Trip report | (Dutch)
| Photo impression | (Flickr)
| Strategic Plan Turin 2025 | (Presentation, Anna Prat)
| Programme booklet | (PDF)
Turin, a metropolitan strategy
The | third Strategic Plan | of the metropolitan area of Turin envisions a “City of Opportunity”; an innovative metropolis that’s efficient, inclusive, sustainable and where anyone can find fertile ground to realize professional and personal aspirations. The vision coalesces around two complementary strategies: building metropolitan governance to favor a more integrated approach to planning, investment and public services, and promoting economic growth through catalytic projects capable of spurring development across the economic spectrum.
Turin, building a metropolitan identity
To ensure that the metropolitan identity was taken into account the | Torino Strategica association | supported, via a set of coordinated activities, the long-term process of reinforcing the collective territorial identity. The awareness of being part of a functional and morphological metropolitan area – besides historical and geographical dimensions – does exist in some forms. The more than 50 cooperation practices, of different kinds, set in place by municipalities during the last two decades have created an inter-communal sense of belonging in specific areas, which goes beyond administrative boundaries.
There is also a shared recognition, among politicians but also citizens, of the key role of some metropolitan functions which are not in the core city (hospitals, tourism and heritage attractions, retail centres, parks). The sense of belonging to the metropolitan area is definitely higher for the inner circle municipalities, which are fully attached to the main city.
Turin, mobilising society
Developing a shared vision of the future means broadening the dialogue and embracing input and insights from lower-profile or emerging corners of society. Torino Strategica, in collaboration with local partners, led a rich and inclusive planning process that saw the engagement of much of the city for two and a half years. Over 230 entities and 500 individuals participated in 150 consultative meetings throughout this complex planning process.
Spanning panels, conferences, seminars, digital forums, photographic reports and deliberative meetings have brought to the fore new and creative voices that can inject fresh energy and original ideas into the future envisioned for | Torino Metropoli 2025 |.
Torino Porta Susa |
What will the Field Trip bring you?
See how culture and identity interact with urban transformations or how top-down policy and bottom-up initiatives can reinforce one another. Through presentations, visits, debates and talks with both local experts and your fellow travellers you broaden your network, gain new knowledge and see Turin in a unique way.
Preliminary programme (subject to change) |
Day 1 - INTRODUCTION TO TURIN
Thursday March 17, 2016
Morning: Travel
The Field Trip starts at 1PM with a presentation by Roberto Damilano on the | Po River Park |, which connects eight parks and fifty natural areas. This will be followed by a guided tour in the city centre, with visits to several parks and squares. What has been the effect of the redevelopment of public space on the revitalisation of the inner city? During the tour a short presentation will be given by | Michele Cafarelli | of Yet|Matilde on public space interventions. Afterwards there is a meet-up at | Urban Center Metropolitano Torino |, a brief general introduction on Turin's urban changeover process and a visit to the permanent exhibition | Torino si mostra |.
In the evening an overview of the strategic planning and transformation of Turin will be given by Valentino Castellani and Anna Prat, vice-president and director of Torino Strategica. The strategy will be illustrated by key urban and area developments, and the role of communities. The effects of international events, such as the | Olympic Winter Games | will also be highlighted. A third, short presentation on the developments in the Dutch Leiden region will be given by Martin Verwoest and followed by a short debate on building a metropolitan identity: Turin vs the Leiden region. The day ends with a dinner.
Day 2 - TRANSFORMATION AREAS
Friday March 18, 2016
Friday focuses on the creation of a new boulevard along the | Spina Centrale | (Central Backbone). Projects such as | I3P | (Innovative Enterprise Incubator of the Politecnico di Torino, presentation by Enrico Confienza), Porta Susa railway station and the | Dora Park | will be visited. The day will end at the | Lingotto Center |, once housing a Fiat automobile factory and now transformed into an exhibition center.
Day 3 - CITY-REGION IDENTITY
Saturday March 19, 2016
The day starts with a presentation on the | Po River Park |. The Po River connects eight parks and fifty natural areas. Afterwards the | strong slow food identity | of the region will be explored. Starting with | Porta Palazzo Market |, the largest open air market in Europe, and followed by a trip to Chieri, a neighbouring municipality, which is strongly connected to the slow food identity. Elena Di Bella will go more in depth on the relation between the city and the surrounding municipalities. In the evening, there will be a wrap-up in which reflections, lessons learned and key issues are brought together. Dinner is served around 8PM.
Day 4 - OPEN PROGRAMME
Sunday March 20, 2016
Open programme (to be determined) and travelling home.
Via Carlo Alberto by Turin Verd |
Why should you join the Metropolitan Field Trip to Turin?
Because you are somewhat actively engaged in the transition of cities, or urban development in general. You want to broaden your horizon and witness how things are done elsewhere in Europe. You want to meet new people within your field of interest or profession, and want to establish sustainable (inter)national contacts. And first and foremost, you want to get a unique perspective on Turin, gain this in the company of an inspiring group of peers and have the practicalities taken care of.
Practical information
The costs for this Field trip are € 650,- per person. There is room for maximum 25 participants, of which moare than 17 spots have been taken.
- Including: hotel (3 nights), breakfast, lunch and diner, local transport, tours and presentations.
- Excluding: transportation to and from Turin. You are required to book this yourself. **
Student offer: students can accompany us on the trip for a reduced fee of € 350,- per person. This is excluding accomodation, students are required to book this themselves.
** Regular flights to Turin leave from Amsterdam and Brussels. Booking the flights is the responsibility of the participants.
Payment & registration
Registration is mandatory, please register for the Metropolitan Field Trip Turin below or contact us via | oploop@deltametropool.nl | for more information. Your registration is final when payment is received via | wire transfer, invoice or Paypal |.
Join the Turin Field Trip
| register now | (closed)
Confirmed participants
- Suzan Aardewijn, student City Marketing in Europe
- Martin Aarts, sr. advisor urban planning Rotterdam
- David Dooghe, project manager VDM
- Rudolf van Ee, urban planner Katwijk
- Eric Frijters, owner FABRIC
- Paul Gerretsen, director Vereniging Deltametropool
- Marc Glaudemans, lector urban strategies Fontys University
- Fred Goedbloed, policy officer urban development Leiden
- Henk Hartzema, owner Studio Hartzema
- Ronald Knappers, architect / urbanist
- Judith van der Laken, sr. policy officer spatial development Katwijk
- Jaap Modder, owner Brainville
- Merten Nefs, project manager VDM
- Josse Popma, architect in Leiden
- Jelmer Ridder, sr. policy officer urban development Den Haag
- Viviana Rubbo, Architect INTI
- Peter van Schie, sr. urban planner Breda
- Paul Severijns, Plan advisor South Holland
- Jan Willem ter Steege, architect in Leiden
- Marcel van Veen, Policy maker Noordwijk
- Martin Verwoest, Urban planner Leiden municipality
Metropolitan Field Trips (2014-2016)
This Metropolitan Field Trip to Turin is the eighth in a series, in which a high-profile (mainly Dutch) group searches for mechanisms of urban change. We look for connections with our colleague planners, cultural entrepreneurs, architects, urban planners, administrators, artists, developers and designers. The Metropolitan Field Trips 2014-2016 explore the urban changes in the new Europe (city in transition / new europe). We look at the current upscaling and the changing roles and interaction between top-down and bottom-up actions.
Partners
| Brainville |
The New Planning is a collaborative research project between Deltametropolis Association and TU Delft. A consortium of academic, civil society, government and market sectors is being created to meet the urgent need for a new model of strategic spatial planning that will keep the Netherlands at the forefront of territorial governance.