2020 has shown us that we live in a fragile and isolated society.

Now is the time to re-establish relationships towards a more convivial ground(s): we propose to participate in this movement through architecture, urban and territorial planning, and design.

Ground(s) is a rich and polysemic notion that encloses both the tangible and intangible.

Ground(s) is an essential and non-renewable component of our natural capital that does not only contribute to our basic human needs but is also a key component of our sense of belonging and heritage. The ground(s) constitutes the place where communities grow and leave their imprint. In this respect, they can also function as a medium to shape, establish and strengthen relationships.

We would like to invite you to a conversation around ground(s) building on three measures:

Mapping the ground(s) means the act of description: how can we produce knowledge that reveals the relationship between humankind and the environment?
Designing the ground(s) involves an active response to contemporary challenges: how can we imagine new rules and forms in the long-run?
Caring for the ground(s) encircles the act of prevention: a process of daily maintenance to generate a co-evolving relationship. Is it possible to strengthen (inter)dependency between the human and non-human world?

We suggest increased cooperation to go beyond borders. Let us re-establish relationships between places across disciplines and sectors. Let us join together in a co-creation process, working from the ground up to reach a convivial society.



The conference is organised by the PhD program in Architecture and Design Cultures - Department of Architecture - University of Bologna