Urban coding in transition. A morphological perspective on contemporary Italian city: the case of Rimini

The significance of urban codes has recently come to the fore, both for their use in reforming the built environment and their value as new tools for shaping the future. This article explores the disciplinary convergence between urban morphology and urban planning, focusing on the contemporary Italian historical city. The discussion concerns the formulation of new operational guidelines as a derogation to the current urban planning instruments and, based on the transitional morphology study, to trigger mechanisms of urban regeneration in the historic centre of the city of Rimini (Italy). In particular, the cases of two sample areas in which the presence of special buildings (such as the Malatesta Temple by Leon Battista Alberti) and buildings that are extraneous to the surrounding urban fabric are analysed. Questions discussed include: preserving the city's character, a morpho-typological approach to the historic building fabric, and designing detail within the planning process.