CERNIERE INDUSTRIALI E CONSUMO DI SUOLO: Un approccio integrato al progetto

The theoretical and design research explores the theme of productive cities and the relocation of industry within European urban areas, a central topic in contemporary urban and economic theory debates. The displacement of productive economies to the periphery and other parts of the world over the last century has disrupted traditional urban functions, impacting urban economies and societies. Our thesis investigates how contemporary industry can be integrated into urban environments, focusing on the impacts of industrial expansion on land consumption and the rising costs of agricultural land in the Austrian region of Carinthia. This cross-disciplinary approach considers the positioning of industrial hubs in relation to territorial infrastructure and subsequent land use. Starting from the idea of promoting the development of productive areas within urban fabrics as potential catalysts for a circular economy and social interactions, we believe that urban industry can foster an urbanity that integrates daily life, recreation, and workspaces, encouraging their mutual development. The city of Villach, Austria, an international hub for the semiconductor industry, serves as the urban context for testing our hypotheses. Industrial development in recent decades has significantly influenced the city's morphology, with often uncontrolled growth in the periphery threatening agricultural and rural areas. The project aims to develop a systemic strategy balancing supra-local economic logics transforming the city into a corporate interest center with endogenous needs. We seek to promote the development of industry integrated with public functions and collective spaces. The strategy, strongly tied to land consumption issues, aims to reduce net land consumption at both metropolitan and regional levels. The research concludes with an architectural project for Westbahnhof, a railway yard presenting a large urban void, located between the historic center and recent expansion areas. The goal is to convert the rigid sections and large scale of semiconductor industries into urban spaces that adapt to public needs and derive mutual benefits. Both the Klagenfurt and Villach technology parks are located near their respective universities, fostering an environment of innovation and collaboration.The theoretical and design research explores the theme of productive cities and the relocation of industry within European urban areas, a central topic in contemporary urban and economic theory debates. The displacement of productive economies to the periphery and other parts of the world over the last century has disrupted traditional urban functions, impacting urban economies and societies. Our thesis investigates how contemporary industry can be integrated into urban environments, focusing on the impacts of industrial expansion on land consumption and the rising costs of agricultural land in the Austrian region of Carinthia. This cross-disciplinary approach considers the positioning of industrial hubs in relation to territorial infrastructure and subsequent land use. Starting from the idea of promoting the development of productive areas within urban fabrics as potential catalysts for a circular economy and social interactions, we believe that urban industry can foster an urbanity that integrates daily life, recreation, and workspaces, encouraging their mutual development. The city of Villach, Austria, an international hub for the semiconductor industry, serves as the urban context for testing our hypotheses. Industrial development in recent decades has significantly influenced the city's morphology, with often uncontrolled growth in the periphery threatening agricultural and rural areas. The project aims to develop a systemic strategy balancing supra-local economic logics transforming the city into a corporate interest center with endogenous needs. We seek to promote the development of industry integrated with public functions and collective spaces. The strategy, strongly tied to land consumption issues, aims to reduce net land consumption at both metropolitan and regional levels. The research concludes with an architectural project for Westbahnhof, a railway yard presenting a large urban void, located between the historic center and recent expansion areas. The goal is to convert the rigid sections and large scale of semiconductor industries into urban spaces that adapt to public needs and derive mutual benefits.

L’orizzonte problematico della ricerca teorica e progettuale è quello delle città produttive e della ricollocazione dell’industria nelle città europee, tema tornato centrale nel dibattito contemporaneo di teoria urbana ed economica. L’economia produttiva, dislocata nella periferia e successivamente in altre parti del mondo nel secolo scorso, ha creato uno squilibrio tra le funzioni urbane tradizionali, con un conseguente impatto sull’economia urbana e sulla società. La nostra tesi indaga come e con quali compromessi l’industria contemporanea possa essere integrata in ambiti urbani, considerando principalmente gli impatti dell’espansione industriale sul consumo di suolo e sull’aumento dei costi dei terreni agricoli nella regione austriaca della Carinzia. L’approccio è trasversale, considerando il posizionamento dei poli industriali rispetto all’infrastruttura territoriale e al consumo di suolo conseguente. Partendo dall’idea di promuovere lo sviluppo delle aree produttive e lavorative all’interno dei tessuti urbanizzati come potenziale catalizzatore di un’economia circolare e di interazioni sociali, crediamo che l’industria urbana possa favorire un’urbanità che integri vita quotidiana, ricreativa e spazi di lavoro, incoraggiandone lo sviluppo reciproco. La città di Villach (Austria), un polo internazionale dell’industria dei semiconduttori, è il contesto urbano scelto per verificare le nostre ipotesi. Lo sviluppo industriale degli ultimi decenni ha fortemente influenzato la morfologia della città, con una crescita spesso incontrollata nella periferia, minacciando le aree agricole e rurali. L’obiettivo del progetto è sviluppare una strategia sistemica che bilanci le logiche economiche sovralocali, che stanno trasformando la città in un centro di interesse per le aziende, con i bisogni endogeni. Vogliamo favorire lo sviluppo di un’industria integrata a funzioni pubbliche e spazi collettivi. La strategia, fortemente legata alla questione del consumo di suolo, mira a ridurre il consumo netto di suolo a livello sia metropolitano che regionale. La ricerca si conclude con un progetto architettonico per il Westbahnhof, uno scalo ferroviario che presenta un grande vuoto urbano, situato al limite tra il centro storico e l’area di espansione recente. L’obiettivo è convertire le sezioni rigide e le grandi dimensioni delle industrie di semiconduttori in spazi urbani che si adattino ai bisogni pubblici e ne traggano vantaggio reciproco.