According to the CRESME (Centre for building research in Italy), between 1994 and 2002, 362 676 were built illegally in Italy, for a value of 50.18 million square meters and an estimated value of 23.47 billion euros, which represents a loss of 15 million euros for tax authorities (source : L’expresso, C. Valentini, Le courrier international).

In Italy, on the eve of the announcement of an amnesty for the illegal constructions built these last ten years, an observation of this social and cultural phenomenon and an engaged reflection towards their integration or their relationship to the public domain is necessary. The first Bilateral International Workshop (WAT_UNESCO) of the UNESCO Chair in Urban Landscape of the University of Montreal in Reggio Calabria calls upon this issue and defines, during the course of 8 days, a unique space for project experimentation. This workshop involves 28 students from the Landscape Architecture School of the University of Montreal and from the Dipartimento di Progettazione per la Città, il Paessaggio e il Territorio (OASI) of the Università degli Studi Mediterranea under the supervision of faculties from both of these institutions.

How to invent public space and, in particular, the landscape of the neighbourhood of San Sperato of Reggio Calabria? A neighbourhood made up of illegal dwellings and individual appropriations of the suburban space of a city; the planning projects require landscape intents in order to create daily collective spaces, which are invested in the sense, the location and the ideas of the territory.

The WAT_UNESCO Reggio Calabria 2003 has been a genuine research laboratory on the issue of the invention of public spaces in a neighbourhood of illegal residences and of landscape project instruction by confronting two academic institutions of landscape architecture. The projects developed by the 16 students of the OASI Department of the Università degli Studi Mediterranea and the 12 students from the Landscape Architecture School of the University of Montreal have delivered, in a variety of visions, structural propositions for the municipality of Reggio Calabria. This first Workshop for the CUPUM is the one that spawned the idea to organize international multilateral WAT_UNESCO events.

Scientifique Council

• Philippe Poullaouec-Gonidec
  Professor Emeritus École d’urbanisme et d’architecture de paysage / Associate Researcher UNESCO Chair in Urban Landscape (CUPUM) / Membre fondateur UNESCO Chair in Urban Landscape (CUPUM) / Chair of Landscape and Environment (CPEUM)
• Stefan Tischer
  Professor Alghero School of Architecture / Director School of Urbanism and Landscape Architecture / Professor School of Urbanism and Landscape Architecture / Coordonateur School of Urbanism and Landscape Architecture / Associate Professor School of Landscape Architecture / Researcher UNESCO Chair in Urban Landscape (CUPUM)
• Gianpiero Donin
  Director Département OASI, planification de la ville, du paysage et du territoire (Institut Reggio Calabria) / Professor Département OASI, planification de la ville, du paysage et du territoire (Institut Reggio Calabria)

Support Team

• Maria Gabriella Trovato
  Professor Département OASI, planification de la ville, du paysage et du territoire (Institut Reggio Calabria) / Docteure de recherche en architecture de paysage Département OASI, planification de la ville, du paysage et du territoire (Institut Reggio Calabria)
• Valério Morabito
  Professor University of Pennsylvania
• Alesssandro Villari
  Professor Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria (UNIRC)

Tutoring

• Orazio Truglio
  Professor Département OASI, planification de la ville, du paysage et du territoire (Institut Reggio Calabria)
• Antonio Dattilo
  
• Rosanna Iarrera
  
• Vincenzo Gioffrè
  Researcher Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria (UNIRC)
• Maria Rosa Russo
  
• Marcella Bellistri
  
• Valeria Caramagno
  
• Emanuela De Leo
  Professor Qasar Institute
• Giovanni Laganà
  Architect glslarchitetti
• Marina Leoncini
  
• Maria Maccarrone
  Professor Iuav University of Venice
• Daniela Monaco
  Professor The Polytechnic University of Milan
• Angela Elisa Musolino
  
• Letizia Schiavone
  

• Design urbain
• Planification territoriale
• Villes inclusives
• Éducation au développement durable

• Affiche

Other partners

• UNESCO Chair in Urban Landscape (CUPUM)
• Département OASI, planification de la ville, du paysage et du territoire (Institut Reggio Calabria)
• School of Landscape Architecture