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“PROGETTI inCOMUNE” – Participation and Innovation for Minucciano Ideas from the students of the Design for Sustainability course at the Department of Architecture (DIDA), University of Florence

27/05/2025

On Saturday, May 10, 2025, the C.I.A.F. “Pietro Ferri” in Gorfigliano (Minucciano – LU) hosted the event “PROGETTI inCOMUNE –  Participation and Innovation for Minucciano”, promoted within the framework of the European project Bauhaus4MED (B4M) – Interreg Euro-MED 2021–2027, in which the Regione Toscana is a partner.

A morning dedicated to participation, sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation, in which Minucciano became a small laboratory of ideas, exchange, and vision.

At the core of the initiative were the projects developed by students from the “Design for Sustainability” course at the Department of Architecture (DIDA), University of Florence, under the guidance of Professors Giuseppe De Luca and Giuseppe Lotti. The proposals – all the result of careful analysis of the local context – addressed key themes for the future of the area: creative reuse of waste materials, social inclusion, environmental enhancement, and the revitalization of inner areas.

The event opened with institutional greetings and included the participation of the Director of the Department of Productive Activities of Regione Toscana, who emphasized the importance of creating strong connections between universities, public administrations, and citizens to foster a shared ecological transition.

A particularly meaningful moment was the launch of a voting process via the Crowdvocacy platform and a paper-based ballot system, which enabled attendees to vote for the projects and actively contribute to the discussion with new proposals, ideas, or feedback. There are two ways to participate:

  1. Online, via the Crowdvocacy platform (b4m.space), by visiting the project proposals section at: https://b4m.space/processes/PROGETTIinCOMUNE/f/18/proposals
  2. In person, using the paper voting box located at Garfagnana Innovazione in Gramolazzo (Minucciano – LU)

Voting is open until 1:00 PM on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, and was designed as a tool to experiment with participatory democracy and direct community involvement in decision-making processes. Through the project and the PROGETTI inCOMUNE call, local communities become active players and co-creators of change, participating in a process that highlights the specificities of the territory while promoting new green economies and regenerative design approaches.

“PROGETTI inCOMUNE” is a pilot action within the Bauhaus4MED project that gives tangible form to the principles of the New European Bauhaus, the European initiative that combines aesthetics, sustainability, and inclusion to rethink the spaces we live in. It is an opportunity to connect academic expertise, territorial knowledge, and the everyday experiences of local residents.

The event, open to the public, brought together citizens, students, institutional representatives, associations, and local organizations in a constructive dialogue, demonstrating how inner areas rich in local traditions can become spaces for innovation and social regeneration.

The initiative will conclude with a Local Bauhaus Festival, which will take place in Minucciano on the afternoon of Saturday, June 14, 2025. During this final event, the results of the vote will be presented and the most appreciated projects will be awarded.

Stay Tuned for more! Join the movement!