Ancona’s urban landscape is fragmented by “non-places” - underused, degraded, or forgotten public areas that disconnect neighbourhoods and limit social interaction. These, often perceived as unsafe or unwelcoming, hold untapped potential. The challenge is to reactivate them through active engagement of the local communities and participatory processes that reintegrate these neglected areas into the urban fabric and transform them into inclusive, sustainable, and meaningful places, while also reinforcing the city’s unique coastal cultural and historical identity and collective memory. Getting to know local history, different sites, buildings and actors may inspire a sense of belonging and identity to their local community. Therefore, working with something that can build and strengthen the connection to the local area is key.​

This pilot will apply a cooperative bottom-up methodology to regenerate five degraded or abandoned urban areas through an international design competition. Citizen involvement is ensured from the initial stage of the competition, particularly in identifying the location and co-designing the spatial and social function of the urban regeneration. The approach blends various participatory methodologies such as reflective urban walk, neighbourhood consultations and storytelling, and playful mapping activities to uncover how places have evolved, capture local perceptions, and inspire participants to imagine alternative futures. The result of these co-design activities then feeds into the terms of reference and working documents of the competition. The selection process of the competition winner will incorporate co-assessment processes to evaluate the results jointly with citizens, based on NEB values of sustainability, inclusion, and beauty. A key milestone of the pilot is the establishment of a community cooperative, “Re:Birth Co-op” a social enterprise acting as a community-driven local engine for sustainable urban regeneration with a mission to revitalise neglected urban spaces through sustainable design and inclusive participation. It will bring together local artisans, designers, and underrepresented community members, fostering social inclusion while promoting circular economy practices. To build long-lasting relationships, local entrepreneurs can be helpful when looking for collaborators. The process fosters a culture of collaboration that goes beyond the project and could potentially inspire other future initiatives. We can engage HCU and TUB (architecture, planning, and landscape) students through an interdisciplinary design studio.​

The pilot will initiate the regeneration of degraded urban spaces, with at least two "non-places" physically transformed within the project lifetime. It will engage residents and local stakeholders in the co-design process, strengthening community cohesion. Establishment of the Re:Birth Cooperative as a replicable model of participatory urban regeneration. The key outcomes will be improved public spaces that see increased daily use, a measurable increase in perceived safety (target: 30% reduction in safety risk concerns), and a blueprint for a community-managed social enterprise that can sustain the regeneration process long-term.​

HCU (Scientific Lead for Implementation), Municipality of Ancona (City partner/ Implementation partner), FFD (Design Lead for implementation, youth engagement, architectural coordination, and implementation)​