Nicosia, divided city
DAStU PhD students propose creative solutions for the bi-communal use of marginal areas
DAStU PhD students and professors visit Nicosia for the workshop “Territorial Fragilities in Cyprus: Planning, and Preservation Strategies”
The intensive research week of the workshop “Territorial Fragilities in Cyprus: Planning, and Preservation Strategies” – a joint teaching activity of the PhD courses in Urban Planning, Design, and Policy and in Preservation of the Architectural Heritage – took place in Nicosia (Cyprus) between September 5 and 11, as part of the activities of the Department of Excellence 2018-2022 “Territorial Fragilities”.
The workshop, which involved 19 PhD students and 9 professors, aimed to investigate the multiple fragilities and potentials of Nicosia due to its condition of “divided city”, exploring scenarios and spatial models of intervention to cope with the existing urban division and facilitate projects shared by the two communities.
Established in 1974, the so-called “green line” materially and symbolically separates the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, despite recurrent attempts to find a way to reconciliation.
Starting from the work already implemented by the Nicosia Master Plan, the students looked for solutions and strategies focusing on the margins of the buffer zone, on those urban spaces and historical buildings that could become a scenario envisioning “communication bridges” between the two divided communities of Nicosia.
The activities began in February 2021 with a cycle of lectures held by international experts, and continued throughout the semester with research work performed by the PhD students in Milan,culminating with in the intensive week in Nicosia. This was made possible thanks also to the constant and active collaboration of local scholars and professionals, allowing the candidates to apply and assess on site the strategies previously elaborated.
The final seminar to present and discuss the results of the workshop was attended by Cypriot experts and colleagues, and was hosted by the Home for Cooperation, a non-governmental organisation and a bi-communal community centre located within the “green line”.
https://www.eccellenza.dastu.polimi.it
https://www.home4cooperation.info
https://ambnicosia.esteri.it
