Il margine al centro: trasformazione del parco fluviale dello Strona come dispositivo urbano e culturale

This thesis explores the potential for urban and landscape regeneration in a marginal yet strategic area of Gravellona Toce, a town located at the heart of the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola region. The project unfolds along the banks of the Strona river, where nature, history, and infrastructure converge in a fragmented context marked by spatial and social discontinuities. The focus is on the Crociera area, an urban junction currently perceived as peripheral but holding a latent centrality, where mobility flows, architectural heritage, and river landscapes intersect. Through a detailed reading of the territory — considering hydraulic and landscape constraints, historical transformations, urban morphology, and infrastructure — the thesis proposes a design strategy aimed at reconnecting urban fabric and activating collective use. The core of the intervention is the revitalization of the Strona river park as an ecological, cultural, and social infrastructure. Biodiversity enhancement, the introduction of pedestrian and cycling paths, the use of local and sustainable materials, and the creation of new crossings are combined into a coherent and subtle urban design. The project also includes the reuse of Palazzo Bossi and the construction of a new public building that contributes to the town’s cultural network. The goal is not only functional but symbolic: to turn a marginal space into a center, a neglected place into a space of belonging and dialogue. The proposal becomes a replicable model for regeneration, based on a deep understanding of context, landscape care, and the construction of new, distributed centralities. This thesis focuses on the regeneration of a marginal but important area in the town of Gravellona Toce, located in the center of the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola region in northern Italy. The project area lies along the Strona river, where natural, historical, and urban elements meet in a space that is currently fragmented and not fully used. The main focus is the Crociera area, a crossing point that once played a central role in the town but is now disconnected from daily life The work begins with an analysis of the territory, including flood risks, the shape of the city, historical changes, and the transport system. Based on this, the thesis proposes a new vision for the area, aiming to reconnect different parts of the town and create new public spaces. The river park becomes the heart of this transformation: a green and open space where people can walk, bike, relax, and take part in community life. Paths, bridges, and local materials are used to create a natural and respectful design. The project also includes the renovation of the historic Palazzo Bossi and the design of a new public building for cultural activities. The goal is to bring new energy to this area and make it a place where people feel connected and involved. This approach can be a model for other small towns, showing how careful design and attention to place can create new life and new meaning in forgotten spaces.

La tesi indaga le potenzialità di rigenerazione urbana e paesaggistica di un’area marginale ma strategica del comune di Gravellona Toce, situato nel cuore del Verbano-Cusio-Ossola. Il progetto si sviluppa lungo il torrente Strona, dove natura, storia e infrastrutture si intrecciano in un contesto frammentato, segnato da disconnessioni spaziali e sociali. In particolare, si concentra sulla zona della Crociera, nodo urbano oggi periferico ma carico di centralità latente, in cui si sovrappongono dinamiche di mobilità, patrimonio architettonico e paesaggio fluviale. Attraverso un’attenta lettura del territorio — che considera vincoli idraulici e paesaggistici, evoluzioni storiche, morfologia urbana e assetti infrastrutturali — la tesi costruisce una strategia di intervento capace di ricucire le fratture esistenti e attivare nuovi usi collettivi. Il progetto ruota attorno alla riqualificazione del parco fluviale dello Strona come infrastruttura ecologica, culturale e sociale. La valorizzazione della biodiversità, l’inserimento di percorsi ciclopedonali, l’uso di materiali locali e sostenibili e la creazione di nuovi attraversamenti si combinano a un disegno urbano sobrio ma strutturante. L’intervento comprende anche il riuso di Palazzo Bossi e l’inserimento di un nuovo edificio pubblico a servizio del sistema culturale cittadino. L’obiettivo non è solo funzionale, ma anche simbolico: trasformare un margine in centro, un luogo trascurato in spazio di appartenenza e confronto. Il progetto propone così un modello replicabile di rigenerazione, fondato sulla lettura profonda dei luoghi, sulla cura per il paesaggio e sulla costruzione di nuove centralità diffuse.