Cities and territories face enormous social and environmental challenges (climate change, biodiversity crisis, increasing urbanization of the planet, social divide…). The ecological transition once again puts life at the centre, question of survival, in the same way that, at the beginning of the century, defeating diseases and introducing hygienic conditions had been at the centre of urban and territorial policies. We have returned, after a long journey, for different reasons but with the same objective of safeguarding and protection, to the question of life. The biopolitical nature of the ecological and social transition underway. This makes us reflect on the theme of resilience because it deals with the ability to stay alive: not in a logic of resistance to transformations, but by exploring ways of coexistence, accepting, at least partially, the dynamics in place, developing the ability to absorb shock instead of rejecting it in toto. Through some episodes related to recent design experiences at different scales in Europe the presentation will explore some of the extraordinary challenges that affect the future of the city and the territory.

Paola Viganò architect and urbanist, is Full Professor in Urban Theory and Urban Design at the EPFL (CH) (where she directs the Habitat Research Center and the Lab-U) and at IUAV Venice (IT). She received the Grand Prix de l’Urbanisme in 2013, the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by the UCLouvain in 2016 in the frame of “Utopia for our Time”, the Flemish Culture Award for Architecture in 2017, and the Golden medal to the career of Milano Triennale in 2018. In 2022, she receives the Schelling Prize for Architectural Theory.

Together with Bernardo Secchi, she founded Studio (1990-2014) working on numerous projects and visions in Europe. Since 2015, StudioPaolaViganò works on the ecological and social transition of cities, landscapes and territories designing urban and territorial projects and realizing public spaces in Europe as the new public park in Dessel Nuclear Research center (Belgium), or Marie Janson Plein in Brussels, together with VVV. Studio has also won the competition for the realization of the municipal plan (PdCom) of Lugano (Switzerland), just completed, and is consultant of the City of Geneva for its municipal plan (PdCom). Studio is finally coordinating the Strategic Scheme for the recovery of the Vesdre Valley (Belgium) after the flooding catastrophe of 2021.

In 2019, her work has been exhibited at the Shenzen Biennale and in 2021 at the Venice Biennale.