Agatino Rizzo (里佐) | Luleå University of Technology - Academia.edu

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Agatino Rizzo (里佐)

Luleå University of Technology, Civil, environmental and natural resources engineering, Faculty Member

Luleå University of Technology, Civil, environmental and natural resources engineering, Faculty Member |

Sustainable Urban Environments

Associate professor in urban planning and design

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266 Followers | 111 Following | 6 Co-authors | —Total Views

Journal Articles

Predatory cities: unravelling the consequences of resource-predatory projects in the global South

In this paper, we outline a framework to study what we have termed " Predatory Cities " , using t... more In this paper, we outline a framework to study what we have termed " Predatory Cities " , using the artificial offshore island of The Pearl in Qatar as a case study. By focusing on the nexus between urbanisation and resources, we will argue that the master-planning of new cities in the booming global South implies both the access and cheap exploitation of a set of, on the one hand, intangible and, on the other hand, tangible resources that exceed the traditional boundaries. Our point of departure is that the cheap appropriation and exploitation of alien architecture images and resource networks for the making of new, master-planned cities has become a necessary, but highly unsustain-able, strategy to survive an increasingly competitive global offering of new destinations.

Views

Climatic barriers to soft-mobility in winter: Luleå, Sweden as case study

by Agatino Rizzo (里佐) and David Chapman

Urban form can moderate the effects of weather on human movement. As such, the interrelationship ... more Urban form can moderate the effects of weather on human movement. As such, the interrelationship between built environment, weather and human movement is a critical component of urban design. This paper explores the impacts of weather on non-motorised human movement (soft-mobility). Throughout we look at soft-mobility from the citizen's perspective and highlight the barriers to soft-mobility in winter. The aim of this study was to test the traditional pallet of winter city urban design considerations. Those of solar-access, wind and snow management and explore other weather and terrain conditions that act as barriers to soft-mobility in winter. This study is based on survey responses from 344 citizens in the sub-arctic area of Sweden. Outcomes from the research highlight that rain, icy surfaces and darkness are today's most significant barriers to soft-mobility in winter. Results from this study link changing barriers to soft-mobility in winter with climate change. The paper concludes that future urban design and planning for winter cities needs to consider a wider pallet of weather conditions, especially rain.

Views

Why Knowledge Megaprojects Will Fail to Transform Gulf Countries in Post-Carbon Economies: The Case of Qatar

In the last two decades, resource cities of the Arab Gulf Region have been known to urban scholar... more In the last two decades, resource cities of the Arab Gulf Region have been known to urban scholars and the general public for their extravagant, large-scale urban developments. These so-called megaprojects have allowed Gulf governments to both brand their nations globally and compete regionally and internationally with other global economic centers. However, as oil-rich Gulf countries have attempted to diversify their revenue stream away from fossil fuels, a new urban typology has emerged in their capitals to facilitate the transition to the knowledge-intensive economy. In continuity with previous research on megaprojects in the Gulf and Asian countries, we have called this new typology Knowledge Megaprojects (KMs). In this paper, by using as a reference point for comparisons the existing literature on knowledge developments in the West, we set to exemplify KMs in the Gulf region by analyzing the case of Education City—a large knowledge campus being developed by the Qatari government in Doha. One main result of this study is that KMs replicate the same shortcomings of other more mundane, extravagant megaprojects and thus are unlikely to provide the right urban setting to foster a sustainable transition to the post-carbon economy in the Gulf.

Views

Managing the energy transition in a tourism-driven economy: The case of Malta

The aim of this paper is to assess Malta’s government capacity to manage the possible environment... more The aim of this paper is to assess Malta’s government capacity to manage the possible environmental and social conflicts arising from the implementation of its renewable energy agenda to comply with EU’s2020 energy package. The country has targeted photovoltaic technologies to achieve a 10% of renewable energy share in the final consumption of energy by 2020. Malta is a popular tourist destination, it hosts three UNESCO world heritage sites, and it is one of the smallest, although densely populated, countries in the European Union. From the encroachment of PV parks with the existing urban/rural landscape, we found a number of issues worth to be investigated such as the location of solar power plants, participatory planning mechanisms, and aesthetic-design considerations for integrating photovoltaic into the existing urban fabric. The study is based on exploratory interviews with institutional stakeholders and document analysis.

Views

Sustainable urban development and green megaprojects in the Arab states of the Gulf Region: limitations, covert aims, and unintended outcomes in Doha, Qatar

Over the last decade, governments of the small Arab emirates in the Gulf region have invested bil... more Over the last decade, governments of the small Arab emirates in the Gulf region have invested billions of dollars in an attempt to foster rapid growth in their capital cities: the results have been truly dramatic and many of the urban centres in the region have been physically transformed. One interesting aspect of this growth is the fact that rhetoric about sustainability has apparently gained traction in the region, as evidenced by a plethora of urban megaprojects that are all carefully branded as green and sustainable. Urban developments in the Gulf have stimulated a spate of scholarly literature in a number of disciplines, and the debates are ongoing; this article will contribute to the discussion in several ways. It begins with a description of recent economic developments in the Gulf, and goes on to explore and expand the modern phenomenon of ‘instant urbanism’ as it applies to the region. We then compare two notable megaprojects in Doha and one in Abu Dhabi, closely analysing the rhetoric of sustainable urban development that surrounds each. We show the limitations of this rhetoric and uncover the covert aims of these projects, and suggest some of their unintended outcomes.

Views

Declining, transition and slow rural territories in southern Italy Characterizing the intra-rural divides

As metropolitan areas around the world keep expanding, behind them, rural areas continue to be af... more As metropolitan areas around the world keep expanding, behind them, rural areas continue to be affected by greater rates of depopulation. This is not a new phenomenon: rural to urban migration has been reported in the developed world at least from the period between the two world wars. However, recent rural depopulation trends have dramatically intensified in both the developed and the developing countries worldwide. In planning literature, greater emphasis is placed on the “urban–rural” divide, that is, people leaving the countryside to look for better opportunities in urban areas. However, a growing body of literature points to the fact that not all rural areas are declining at the same rate. Indeed, some rural towns have managed to retain population and even to grow. Therefore, at least in developed countries, an “intra-rural” divide notion is emerging. To exemplify this notion, we have studied rural towns in Southern Italy.

Views

Problematizing transdisciplinary urbanism research: A reply to “Seeking Northlake”

by Agatino Rizzo (里佐) and michail galanakis

We were very excited that our work on transdisciplinary urbanism inspired Brown et al. (2017) in ... more We were very excited that our work on transdisciplinary urbanism inspired Brown et al. (2017) in their research project. After publishing " Transdisciplinary Urbanism: Three experiences from Europe and Canada " (Rizzo & Galanakis, 2015) we hoped to instigate a debate on the current forms of urban studies. Overall, we found the article interesting, well argued, and thought provoking. We hope that there will be more projects by Northlake Collective, and we, for sure, will be happy to read about them. The following critique is not to discipline researchers for misinterpreting Transdisciplinary Urbanism (TU). On the contrary; Brown et al. (2017) demonstrate to us that TU can only take further an ongoing dialogue about conducting research by intervening in urban space. The points we make concern issues that many researchers face, particularly if we work with open and participatory methodological frameworks such as TU. We don't want to set the record straight; we wish to engage in the discussion.

Views

Microclimate assessment method f or urban design: A case study in subarctic climate

Interest in climate-sensitive urban design has grown in recent decades. Nevertheless, there are v... more Interest in climate-sensitive urban design has grown in recent decades. Nevertheless, there are various difficulties associated with such an approach. One of these is the lack of simple comfort assessment tools. This article presents a method for microclimate assessment that is composed of a wind comfort analysis and a microclimate assessment based on measuring a combination of solar access and wind velocity. The study includes analysis of a proposed urban project situated in Kiruna, a Swedish town located in the subarctic region of the country. The results from the simulations were then overlaid to produce combined microclimate maps for three specific dates: winter solstice, spring equinox and summer solstice. The maps illustrate relative microclimate differences between areas in the proposed project based on combinations of wind/lee and sun/shadow conditions. The outcomes showed that only a small proportion of the area studied had favourable microclimate conditions at the winter solstice and spring equinox. The thermal comfort Index OUT_SET* was calculated for the summer solstice in the study area. Comparisons between the spatial distribution of OUT_SET* values and the microclimate assessment map showed a large degree of correlation. The method is intended to be a simple and representative evaluation of microclimate.

Views

Transdisciplinary Urbanism: Three experiences from Europe and Canada

by Agatino Rizzo (里佐) and michail galanakis

The decreasing pace of urban development in economically-troubled Europe allows time for urban pr... more The decreasing pace of urban development in economically-troubled Europe allows time for urban practitioners and actors to re-think planning action and its outcomes. In Canada where urban development seems unstoppable, contemplative breaks are as important. From the rubbles of recent environmental and economic crises around the world, in this article we discuss the emergence of a new theoretical approach in urban design and planning that is at the intersection of Socio-Spatial Research, Complexity Theories of Cities, and Urban Activism: Transdisciplinary Urbanism. We deploy three relevant, research projects we have been engaged with to analyze issues, challenges and limitations of Transdisciplinary Urbanism. The time frame of these interventions spans almost a decade

Views

Rapid urban development and national master planning in Arab Gulf countries. Qatar as a case study

In this article we review past and current master planning efforts in Qatar, highlighting the cou... more In this article we review past and current master planning efforts in Qatar, highlighting the country’s inability to manage rapid urban development. We will argue that the failure to implement sound urban planning in Qatar – and by extension, in the rest of the Arab Gulf Region – is the result of a detachment between the master planning phase – usually sub-contracted to external consultants that are insensitive to Gulf dynamics – and the implementation phase – usually carried out by incapable and redundant local government agencies – all in absence of a serious discussion of ongoing mega-projects.

Views

Predatory cities: unravelling the consequences of resource-predatory projects in the global South

In this paper, we outline a framework to study what we have termed " Predatory Cities " , using t... more In this paper, we outline a framework to study what we have termed " Predatory Cities " , using the artificial offshore island of The Pearl in Qatar as a case study. By focusing on the nexus between urbanisation and resources, we will argue that the master-planning of new cities in the booming global South implies both the access and cheap exploitation of a set of, on the one hand, intangible and, on the other hand, tangible resources that exceed the traditional boundaries. Our point of departure is that the cheap appropriation and exploitation of alien architecture images and resource networks for the making of new, master-planned cities has become a necessary, but highly unsustain-able, strategy to survive an increasingly competitive global offering of new destinations.

Views

Climatic barriers to soft-mobility in winter: Luleå, Sweden as case study

by Agatino Rizzo (里佐) and David Chapman

Urban form can moderate the effects of weather on human movement. As such, the interrelationship ... more Urban form can moderate the effects of weather on human movement. As such, the interrelationship between built environment, weather and human movement is a critical component of urban design. This paper explores the impacts of weather on non-motorised human movement (soft-mobility). Throughout we look at soft-mobility from the citizen's perspective and highlight the barriers to soft-mobility in winter. The aim of this study was to test the traditional pallet of winter city urban design considerations. Those of solar-access, wind and snow management and explore other weather and terrain conditions that act as barriers to soft-mobility in winter. This study is based on survey responses from 344 citizens in the sub-arctic area of Sweden. Outcomes from the research highlight that rain, icy surfaces and darkness are today's most significant barriers to soft-mobility in winter. Results from this study link changing barriers to soft-mobility in winter with climate change. The paper concludes that future urban design and planning for winter cities needs to consider a wider pallet of weather conditions, especially rain.

Views

Why Knowledge Megaprojects Will Fail to Transform Gulf Countries in Post-Carbon Economies: The Case of Qatar

In the last two decades, resource cities of the Arab Gulf Region have been known to urban scholar... more In the last two decades, resource cities of the Arab Gulf Region have been known to urban scholars and the general public for their extravagant, large-scale urban developments. These so-called megaprojects have allowed Gulf governments to both brand their nations globally and compete regionally and internationally with other global economic centers. However, as oil-rich Gulf countries have attempted to diversify their revenue stream away from fossil fuels, a new urban typology has emerged in their capitals to facilitate the transition to the knowledge-intensive economy. In continuity with previous research on megaprojects in the Gulf and Asian countries, we have called this new typology Knowledge Megaprojects (KMs). In this paper, by using as a reference point for comparisons the existing literature on knowledge developments in the West, we set to exemplify KMs in the Gulf region by analyzing the case of Education City—a large knowledge campus being developed by the Qatari government in Doha. One main result of this study is that KMs replicate the same shortcomings of other more mundane, extravagant megaprojects and thus are unlikely to provide the right urban setting to foster a sustainable transition to the post-carbon economy in the Gulf.

Views

Managing the energy transition in a tourism-driven economy: The case of Malta

The aim of this paper is to assess Malta’s government capacity to manage the possible environment... more The aim of this paper is to assess Malta’s government capacity to manage the possible environmental and social conflicts arising from the implementation of its renewable energy agenda to comply with EU’s2020 energy package. The country has targeted photovoltaic technologies to achieve a 10% of renewable energy share in the final consumption of energy by 2020. Malta is a popular tourist destination, it hosts three UNESCO world heritage sites, and it is one of the smallest, although densely populated, countries in the European Union. From the encroachment of PV parks with the existing urban/rural landscape, we found a number of issues worth to be investigated such as the location of solar power plants, participatory planning mechanisms, and aesthetic-design considerations for integrating photovoltaic into the existing urban fabric. The study is based on exploratory interviews with institutional stakeholders and document analysis.

Views

Sustainable urban development and green megaprojects in the Arab states of the Gulf Region: limitations, covert aims, and unintended outcomes in Doha, Qatar

Over the last decade, governments of the small Arab emirates in the Gulf region have invested bil... more Over the last decade, governments of the small Arab emirates in the Gulf region have invested billions of dollars in an attempt to foster rapid growth in their capital cities: the results have been truly dramatic and many of the urban centres in the region have been physically transformed. One interesting aspect of this growth is the fact that rhetoric about sustainability has apparently gained traction in the region, as evidenced by a plethora of urban megaprojects that are all carefully branded as green and sustainable. Urban developments in the Gulf have stimulated a spate of scholarly literature in a number of disciplines, and the debates are ongoing; this article will contribute to the discussion in several ways. It begins with a description of recent economic developments in the Gulf, and goes on to explore and expand the modern phenomenon of ‘instant urbanism’ as it applies to the region. We then compare two notable megaprojects in Doha and one in Abu Dhabi, closely analysing the rhetoric of sustainable urban development that surrounds each. We show the limitations of this rhetoric and uncover the covert aims of these projects, and suggest some of their unintended outcomes.

Views

Declining, transition and slow rural territories in southern Italy Characterizing the intra-rural divides

As metropolitan areas around the world keep expanding, behind them, rural areas continue to be af... more As metropolitan areas around the world keep expanding, behind them, rural areas continue to be affected by greater rates of depopulation. This is not a new phenomenon: rural to urban migration has been reported in the developed world at least from the period between the two world wars. However, recent rural depopulation trends have dramatically intensified in both the developed and the developing countries worldwide. In planning literature, greater emphasis is placed on the “urban–rural” divide, that is, people leaving the countryside to look for better opportunities in urban areas. However, a growing body of literature points to the fact that not all rural areas are declining at the same rate. Indeed, some rural towns have managed to retain population and even to grow. Therefore, at least in developed countries, an “intra-rural” divide notion is emerging. To exemplify this notion, we have studied rural towns in Southern Italy.

Views

Problematizing transdisciplinary urbanism research: A reply to “Seeking Northlake”

by Agatino Rizzo (里佐) and michail galanakis

We were very excited that our work on transdisciplinary urbanism inspired Brown et al. (2017) in ... more We were very excited that our work on transdisciplinary urbanism inspired Brown et al. (2017) in their research project. After publishing " Transdisciplinary Urbanism: Three experiences from Europe and Canada " (Rizzo & Galanakis, 2015) we hoped to instigate a debate on the current forms of urban studies. Overall, we found the article interesting, well argued, and thought provoking. We hope that there will be more projects by Northlake Collective, and we, for sure, will be happy to read about them. The following critique is not to discipline researchers for misinterpreting Transdisciplinary Urbanism (TU). On the contrary; Brown et al. (2017) demonstrate to us that TU can only take further an ongoing dialogue about conducting research by intervening in urban space. The points we make concern issues that many researchers face, particularly if we work with open and participatory methodological frameworks such as TU. We don't want to set the record straight; we wish to engage in the discussion.

Views

Microclimate assessment method f or urban design: A case study in subarctic climate

Interest in climate-sensitive urban design has grown in recent decades. Nevertheless, there are v... more Interest in climate-sensitive urban design has grown in recent decades. Nevertheless, there are various difficulties associated with such an approach. One of these is the lack of simple comfort assessment tools. This article presents a method for microclimate assessment that is composed of a wind comfort analysis and a microclimate assessment based on measuring a combination of solar access and wind velocity. The study includes analysis of a proposed urban project situated in Kiruna, a Swedish town located in the subarctic region of the country. The results from the simulations were then overlaid to produce combined microclimate maps for three specific dates: winter solstice, spring equinox and summer solstice. The maps illustrate relative microclimate differences between areas in the proposed project based on combinations of wind/lee and sun/shadow conditions. The outcomes showed that only a small proportion of the area studied had favourable microclimate conditions at the winter solstice and spring equinox. The thermal comfort Index OUT_SET* was calculated for the summer solstice in the study area. Comparisons between the spatial distribution of OUT_SET* values and the microclimate assessment map showed a large degree of correlation. The method is intended to be a simple and representative evaluation of microclimate.

Views

Transdisciplinary Urbanism: Three experiences from Europe and Canada

by Agatino Rizzo (里佐) and michail galanakis

The decreasing pace of urban development in economically-troubled Europe allows time for urban pr... more The decreasing pace of urban development in economically-troubled Europe allows time for urban practitioners and actors to re-think planning action and its outcomes. In Canada where urban development seems unstoppable, contemplative breaks are as important. From the rubbles of recent environmental and economic crises around the world, in this article we discuss the emergence of a new theoretical approach in urban design and planning that is at the intersection of Socio-Spatial Research, Complexity Theories of Cities, and Urban Activism: Transdisciplinary Urbanism. We deploy three relevant, research projects we have been engaged with to analyze issues, challenges and limitations of Transdisciplinary Urbanism. The time frame of these interventions spans almost a decade

Views

Rapid urban development and national master planning in Arab Gulf countries. Qatar as a case study

In this article we review past and current master planning efforts in Qatar, highlighting the cou... more In this article we review past and current master planning efforts in Qatar, highlighting the country’s inability to manage rapid urban development. We will argue that the failure to implement sound urban planning in Qatar – and by extension, in the rest of the Arab Gulf Region – is the result of a detachment between the master planning phase – usually sub-contracted to external consultants that are insensitive to Gulf dynamics – and the implementation phase – usually carried out by incapable and redundant local government agencies – all in absence of a serious discussion of ongoing mega-projects.

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New Urban Geographies of the Creative and Knowledge Economies: Why Knowledge Megaprojects Will Fail to Transform Gulf Countries in Post-Carbon Economies

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Problematizing green/blue infrastructures (chapter in edited book)

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From Petro-Urbanism to Knowledge Megaprojects in the Persian Gulf: Qatar Foundation's Education City (chapter in edited book)

Mega-Urbanization in the Global South: Fast Cities and New Urban Utopias of the Postcolonial State, 2017

In this chapter, after reviewing the intertwined effects of geopolitical aspirations and the rapi... more In this chapter, after reviewing the intertwined effects of geopolitical aspirations and the rapid urbanization of Gulf capitals, I will focus on Qatar Foundation’s Education City campus to analyse processes and politics of Knowledge Megaprojects in resource-rich countries of the Arab Gulf Region. I argue that while Education City is a new type of Knowledge Megaproject, in that it aims to be a knowledge hub that is better connected with other urban localities around the world to produce knowledge and innovation (Ascher 1995, Castells 1996), its outcomes are similar to those of other consumption megaprojects in the Gulf, i.e. social displacement, spatial seg- regation, and the privatization of urban space (Graham and Marvin 2001, Gellert and Lynch 2003, Bagaeen 2007).

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Transurbanism. Towards A New Transdisciplinary Approach in Urban Planning

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Doppelgänger under the volcano. Le speranze di un complesso multifunzionale nel Meridione (Agatino Rizzo e Roberto Zancan)

La civiltà dei superluoghi, 2007

Please cite this article in press as: RIZZO, A., ZANCAN, R. (2007) Doppelgänger under the volcano... more Please cite this article in press as: RIZZO, A., ZANCAN, R. (2007) Doppelgänger under the volcano: Le speranze di un complesso multifunzionale nel Meridione. In Amendola G., Mello P., Ricci M. - Eds. - (2007) La civiltà dei superluoghi: notizie dalla metropoli quotidiana, Damiani Editore, Bologna, pp. 100-105. ISBN: 978-88-6208-008-8 Essere sensibili a tutto ciò che vi è di affine nel mondo non si risolve nell’affermazione che le cose sono tecnicizzate, razionalizzate e il particolare oggi si trova oramai solo nelle sfumature, ma, come scrisse Walter Benjamin, “nel vedere unicamente sfumature e comprendere che queste, tuttavia, sono tutte uguali”. In altre parole “attingere con il cucchiaio l’uguale dalla realtà” non vuol dire cogliere soltanto la somiglianza assoluta di una cosa con l’altra, ma avvisare la possibilità che un’unica cosa possa esistere simultaneamente in più luoghi. È così che chiunque voglia osservare Etnapolis, il più grande centro commerciale del Meridione, deve sforzarsi di imparare a vivere tutte le conseguenze del potere sconosciuto di un Doppelgänger, un doppio perturbante, che inquieta e sovverte la presunta unicità del reale.

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The long and winding road Peripheries in a Medium Sized City of Southern Italy (Paolo La Greca, Francesco Martinico, Sara Occhipinti e Agatino Rizzo)

by Paolo La Greca and Agatino Rizzo (里佐)

Isocarp Review 02, 2006

Please cite this article in press as: LA GRECA, P., MARTINICO, F., OCCHIPINTI, S., RIZZO, A. (200... more Please cite this article in press as: LA GRECA, P., MARTINICO, F., OCCHIPINTI, S., RIZZO, A. (2006). The long and winding road. Peripheries in a Medium Sized City of Southern Italy. In LA GRECA P. & MEREY, Z. (Eds.) Cities Between Integration and Disintegration, Opportunities and Challenges. ISOCARP Review 02, 196-215. ISBN: 90-755-24-47-1 Contemporary cities are often the outcome of an aggregation of different parts grown in an informal way. In these systems sometimes the expression ‘periphery’ looses its original meaning of outwards bounds distinguished from the centre (De Carlo 1993). The same happens in Catania, a medium size city of southern Italy where the settlement system is characterized by a complex combination of marginal neighbourhoods intertwined with richer and more vital ones. This is particularly true in transition areas between the main municipality and the surrounding towns, a quite common phenomenon in large conurbations of western countries. However, here another occurrence parallels this one, the presence of large historic neighbourhoods that show characters of economic, social and functional marginalization where illegal activities are concentrated as well as urban blight. Looking more in depth, these areas, that can be defined “at risk”, represent a highly heterogynous set as far their formation process and settlement pattern are concerned. Their other relevant feature is the strong resistance to change both from physical and social points of view, even if specific actions have been taken to improve or upgrade them.

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The Multiple City. Tallinn as a possible project for the global cities of tomorrow

Please cite this article in press as: RIZZO, A. (2009). The Multiple City. Tallinn as playground ... more Please cite this article in press as: RIZZO, A. (2009). The Multiple City. Tallinn as playground to test new paradigms in urban studies. In Ilmavirta, T. (Ed.), Regenerating Urban Core. Publication of the YTK/IFHP Urban Planning and Design Summer School. Espoo, Finland: C-series of CURS, Helsinki University of Technology, 44-57. ISBN: 978-951-22-9979-9 "Tallinn, the capital of Estonia is the growing identity of the ‘New European East’. Cooperation between Helsinki and Tallinn can be traced back to the early last century and its consequences are still visible in the urban structure of both cities. Cooperation here is based on informal and flexible relations between specific actors, forming bottom up connections rather than the conventional top-down associations. This ongoing regime defines a complex area without clear borders, rather than a traditional stable geographical unit. At the same time, after the independence of Estonia (1991) citizenship was granted only to those who had ancestors prior to Soviet occupation. Although a minority were able to obtain Estonian citizenship, most of the Russian Speaking Population was cut-off from this integration process. Despite the presence of these enclave formations in the city, it remains unconnected on the surface to ethnical segregation or to the Diaspora between the Russian and Estonian ethnic groups. The aim of this paper is to describe the current urban and social situation in Tallinn. We will show that beside recognition of Tallinn’s urban fragmentation it is possible to point out the emergence of a new territory, which is both an urban and social entity. From this research we tried to extract a new horizon of reference in the field of urban studies which will be briefly highlighted."

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Helsinki-Tallinn Region. Tracing networks in an archipelago of islands (with Tomas Jonsson, Sukanya Krishnamurthy, Reinhard Micheller, Ricardo Santacruz,)

"The idea of Helsinki-Tallinn Region (HTR) as a commonly branded region is in one sense an obvio... more "The idea of Helsinki-Tallinn Region (HTR) as a commonly branded region is in one sense an obvious and natural extension of the close relationship between Tallinn an Helsinki. Since Estonia’s independence, this connection has expanded rapidly. Travel between these two centres accounts for the most international traffic. Region makers such as Euregio and Finpro have explored a number of projects to expand this relationship in order to establish a more systematic and integrated connection. The current connection through ferries does not adequately suit the desired speed and volume of traffic in goods and people desired. Therefore, the idea of a bridge -or more realistically a tunnel- has been put forward on several occasions. The idea of a tunnel is clearly influenced by the success of the Oresund Region, and with pressure / encouragement from larger regional organizations such as the European Union. Several logistical obstacles have so far prevented this vision from becoming a reality such as geography, political will, discrepencies, and local resistance / transcendence."

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DIETRO LA METROPOLI. Appunti per un nuovo entroterra Siciliano (Paperback)

Attraverso una metodologia ibrida che utilizza descrizione, analisi quantitativa e rappresentazio... more Attraverso una metodologia ibrida che utilizza descrizione, analisi quantitativa e rappresentazione cartografica si è voluto raccontare la storia dellentroterra nel Mezzogiorno d'Italia considerando la Sicilia come caso di studio ed avendo per obiettivo il tentativo di proporre nuove strade per lo sviluppo di questa parte del territorio italiano.

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A survey of recent projects in Qatar reveals a particular brand of "instant urbanism": while by 2... more A survey of recent projects in Qatar reveals a particular brand of "instant urbanism": while by 2022 more luxury hotels will be opened to cater for Westerns and westernised Arabs who can afford to enjoy exclusive services, issues such as spatial segregation, sustainable urban development, and affordable housing remain unsolved.

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TRANSIT SPACE IN THE STRAITS MEGACITY REGION

Johor Bahru (JB) is a mid-size metropolis of about 1,7 million inhabitants (in 2010) located in t... more Johor Bahru (JB) is a mid-size metropolis of about 1,7 million inhabitants (in 2010) located in the southern tip of peninsular Malaysia. It sits between two global cities: Kuala Lumpur (6 m metro inhab.) and Singapore (5,4 million inhab.) . Until 1957, both Malaysia and the city-state of Singapore were under the control of the British Empire which controlled the profitable trade route between China and Europe. While, on the one hand, JB is intrinsically connected with its powerful neighbor, Singapore, on the other hand, given the centralized nature of the Malaysian state, it depends on Kuala Lumpur (KL) for leadership and financial resources. Moreover, the three cities are linked together by a network of infrastructures, services, and small economic centres that have led to theorize about the emergence of a Straits Megacity Region (figure 1). The SMR is a 300 km-long transnational, economic corridor that stretches North-South in the Malaysian peninsula for a total population of over 15 million inhabitants and a total GDP output of about US$ 250 billion - more than double of that of Singapore and equal to that of Malaysia (in 2010). Until recently, JB was more of a sprawling periphery for Singapore, being both a gateway for cheap goods and affordable living for the Singaporean middle-class and a convenient location for thousands of Malaysians working for better wages in the city-state. However, with the turn of the XXI century, Malaysia has set a grand vision, named Iskandar Malaysia, to transform this border city (JB) into a major hub in South-East Asia. But, will Iskandar Malaysia be able to counter segregation and “splintering urbanization” in JB? In this short essay I will advocate the potential of studying Johor’s “transit space” to deliver a more sustainable and equitable urban development in the region.

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Agatino Rizzo interviewed by The Edge Singapore Magazine, Cover Story on Iskandar Malaysia

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Reconstructing Meta-Doha

Qatar has recently come to the attention of the media and the international community for its ris... more Qatar has recently come to the attention of the media and the international community for its rising geopolitical importance. Despite its limited size, a growing number of international companies are opening regional offices in Doha, Qatar’s capital city, which is in turn reshaping its cityscape with ambitious public funded mega-projects (for the 2022 FIFA world cup, Olympics, etc.). While this mega-project agenda has brought new useful infrastructures to cater for the country’s ambitious goals, at the same time, it has been responsible for important physical and social fractures within the city. However, while on the one hand Doha’s mega-projects contribute to further urban fragmentation in Qatar they also show better connections with other localities worldwide....

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Another suburban morning (Agatino Rizzo and Robert Zancan)

11, 2006

Posta nel quadrante sud-orientale siciliano, la città-regione Messina-Catania-Siracusa-Ragusa è u... more Posta nel quadrante sud-orientale siciliano, la città-regione Messina-Catania-Siracusa-Ragusa è un’agglomerazione discontinua di oltre due milioni di abitanti che si allunga tra lo Stretto e le ultime propaggini dell’altipiano ibleo. Con molta probabilità il più grande insieme urbano nell’area centrale del basso Mediterraneo, i limiti e l’effettiva estensione del quale diventano comprensibili solo se posti a confronto con le conurbazioni delle coste iberico-francesi e con le città-capitali di levante (Atene, Istanbul, Il Cairo).

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Tallinna Saared ja Kohalikud Planeerimisstrateegiad

4, 2008

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Border Cities in the Baltic Sea

140, 2009

In 2007/2008, the Border Cities Kolleg, facilitated by the Germany-based Bauhaus Dessau Foundatio... more In 2007/2008, the Border Cities Kolleg, facilitated by the Germany-based Bauhaus Dessau Foundation, brought together an international group of young planners, architects, artists and urbanists to explore the complex dynamics of trans-national urbanism in the Baltic Sea Region. Within this framework our group came together to consider the cities of Helsinki and Tallinn as a case of EU spatial policy implementation. Region makers such as EUREGIO view the two cities as part of an emerging European Region, one that opens an opportunity to enhance economic and administrative capacities, as well as to expand transportation and distribution networks. These in turn form or enhance a number of interweaving bonds. The focus of our group research was to see how far this notion of region building has progressed, compared with past and present common identity building processes.

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Behind Metropolis

142, 2010

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Making New Helsinki

135, 2008

Una delle città più dinamiche degli ultimi anni è la capitale di un piccolo/grande Paese nord-eur... more Una delle città più dinamiche degli ultimi anni è la capitale di un piccolo/grande Paese nord-europeo: Helsinki. Il Paese in questione è ovviamente la Finlandia che con i suoi oltre 337 Kmq di superficie e gli appena 5,2 milioni di abitanti è la nazione meno densa della UE. Confinate ad est con la Russia e a nord-ovest con la Svezia, la Finlandia costituisce per certi versi una sorta di “penisola” (la fennoscandia), all’interno del più grande sistema peninsulare scandinavo, che si protende dall’estremità nord del golfo di Botnia verso il centro del mar Baltico. Un Mare Nostrum Balticum, come gli svedesi lo definivano nel XVI secolo, d’importanza cruciale per gli equilibri geopolitici del continente europeo, che qui si incontra con quello asiatico, per una popolazione complessiva di almeno 50 milioni di abitanti uniti da un unico credo religioso, quello cristiano, e tre confessioni quasi egualmente rappresentate: Luterana, Cattolica e Ortodossa.

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Times of Malta: Study on how to manage possible conflicts between tourism and renewable energy projects in Malta

Prof. Agatino Rizzo from Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, was recently in Malta to intervi... more

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Shaping Resilient Urban Spaces Transitioning from the resource-extraction to resource-integrated urban paradigm

Natural resources (minerals, petrol, wind, solar, forest, etc.) are at the basis of our urban eco... more Natural resources (minerals, petrol, wind, solar, forest, etc.) are at the basis of our urban economies. For example, many of the products we use in our everyday lives (e.g., car, mobile phone, etc.) are built or need for their functioning natural resources (e.g., oil/energy, iron, copper, gold, etc.). At the same time, the extraction and transformation of natural resources in products have distinctive physical, ecological, and social impacts in cities worldwide. For instance, the extraction, distribution, processing of natural resources entail the construction of infrastructures (roads, factories, power plants, etc.), housing and supporting functions that creates the basis for urbanization. However, under a market-led economic regime, these infrastructure spaces (or entire towns!), sometimes, need to discarded because not useful to the extraction economies any longer. Resource-extraction urbanism is a waste-generating, primitive (although pervasive) model that evolves at the planetary scale with centres and peripheries that have several levels of inter-connections. At the same time, trends such as decentralization and miniaturization of renewable resource generation and circular economies promise to disrupt the current resource-extraction paradigm. We think that cities need to transition from the primitive, resource-extraction paradigm to a more resilient, resource-integrate urban nexus. We propose a nexus in which decentralized, circular, micro (energy and resource) systems are intimately integrated with humankind and its living space at multiple scales (from the building to the transnational scale). From a spatial point of view, this nexus leads to two main challenges: the need of a new urban aesthetics that can help deliver a resource-integrated urban living; and, the need to regenerate primitive resource-extraction spaces and infrastructures. In my talk, I will then show some experiences in which, under the umbrella of resource-integrated urbanism, my group and I have dealt with the two above challenges. The first project, Energy-Form, deals with the integration of decentralized, renewable energy in the everyday working environment. In this project, we deployed design thinking and participatory techniques to co-create, together with end users and stakeholders, " energy landscapes ". In the second project, MIN-SPIRE, we tackle the issue of extractive spaces and " resource waste " by deploying design and planning as a catalyst for local development. Finally, in the project Food on the Roof, we deploy big data analysis techniques and interdisciplinary thinking to capitalize on waste energy and available space to grow food in cities across seasons.

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Green megaprojects and displacement in the global south: two case studies from Malaysia and Qatar (INVITED SPEAKER)

National University of Singapore, ARI, 2017

The “Green” rhetoric is constantly gaining traction in urban planning research. In line with anth... more The “Green” rhetoric is constantly gaining traction in urban planning research. In line with anthropocenic thinking, the study of green cities and infrastructures has promised a straightforward recipe to solve many urban issues (e.g., climate mitigation and resilience, urban health, etc.). However, green city/infrastructure proponents, while emphasizing the positive environmental, economic, and health aspects of these projects, often neglect important socio-political and spatial considerations that are crucial for understanding the dramatic transformation of non-urbanized and peri-urban territories. Based on my latest research on urban megaprojects in Johor, Malaysia, and Doha, Qatar, in this paper I will deploy a critical, comparative approach to inform a critique of both the green planning practice and some western based urban theories that have been used to explain development in the South.

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Relational Cities and Urban Megaprojects: case studies and lessons from Asia and Europe (KEYNOTE SPEAKER)

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Problematizing Green/Blue Infrastructures: Insights from the global south (keynote speaker)

Infrastrutture blu e verdi, reti virtuali, culturali e sociali”

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Participatory Design as a Tool to Create an Energy Smart Campus in Sweden

by Agatino Rizzo (里佐) and Jenny Bergström

For decades alternative (to carbon) sources of energy in Sweden have been linked to hydro- and nu... more For decades alternative (to carbon) sources of energy in Sweden have been linked to hydro- and nuclear-power. However, this is set to change as the new Swedish government agenda has put an extraordinary emphasis on renewables. The implementation of renewables in Sweden poses several challenges. Three main aspects deter local communities from embracing large renewable projects: Noise, the visual impact, and visual discomfort (reflection). Sweden has a long tradition of stakeholder engagement in state-funded projects in the form of participatory meetings and written feedbacks. However, other participatory techniques are less established. Since 2014, LTU has been engaged in a research project dealing with energy, landscape, art, and participation in LTU campus in Piteå, Norrbotten. The aim of this paper is to discuss this interdisciplinary project and report its results. The main finding of this research is that the use of particpatory design in energy projects such as a smart campus is an important factor to foster collaboration and understanding between end users and stakeholders.

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A transdisciplinary study of energy landscapes in Sweden

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Politics and Processes of Sea-Megaprojects in the Arab Gulf Region The Pearl Island in Doha, Qatar as a case of study

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AESOP Urban Complexity Meeting: “Integrating Transdisciplinary Urbanism in Complexity Theories of Cities. Two Experiences from the Baltic Sea Region”

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Co-Chair Isocarp Congress “Frontiers of Planning” (INVITED COORDINATOR): Coordination “International Planners Exchange” track

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Isocarp Young Planners Professional Workshop (INVITED COORDINATOR): Coordination Strategic Urban Planning team

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