Garden for postgrowth future

Garden for postgrowth future The concept of limitless growth has led to the development of megacities characterized by boundless and sprawling urbanization. On the other hand, it has also created stark contrasts by concentrating and globalizing development within the largest and fastest-growing cities, further accelerating the depopulation of nearby smaller cities. While some large and developing cities are beginning to explore pathways toward a postgrowth future - seeking to shift from an economic growth-centric development and create space for alternative forms of growth - shrinking cities are already in an unintentional phase of economic recession. Uniquely positioned, they explore alternative pathways and serve as experimental laboratories for postgrowth transformation. Turin is a prime example of this trend, having experienced a nearly 30% decline in its population over the past few decades. The city is undergoing a phase of recession, marked by persistent depopulation and a search for systemic transformation. The shift away from growth is visible in the numerous abandoned buildings and neglected areas scattered throughout the city. Turin is increasingly filled with voids and, at the same time, contains many areas of junk space - remnants of rapid development during the financial boom and growth - which urgently requires redesigning and repurposing. The author’s idea for the project is to reimagine the city by garden thinking, with a comprehensive green system at its core - designed to serve human and non-human urban inhabitants. The project is based on historical and contemporary studies, inspired by the master plan for Berlin by O. M. Ungers and R. Koolhaas from 1977, titled The City in the City: Berlin, A Green Archipelago. The new system will integrate natural voids within the city, such as rivers and parks, while addressing neglected or underutilized spaces - the missing voids - including abandoned, lost and junk areas that require redefinition and redesign. The goal is to envision an alternative urban model for a postgrowth future. Through its utopian design, the project aspires to offer a fresh perspective, serving as both a catalyst for change and a source of inspiration.