The “Agrigento in Comune” group has completed the first edition of “Impronte di Futuro”, an initiative of knowledge, community and discussion which aims to highlight the potential of Agrigento’s abandoned buildings through their rediscovery and the active participation of community.
During the Walk-Lab, which saw the intergenerational involvement of more than 60 citizens of Agrigento, temporary plaques were placed that tell the identity of the buildings visited, expertly narrated by the historian and tourist guide, Marco Falzone. This symbolic gesture has rekindled interest in abandoned and currently unavailable sites, with the aim of valorising structures with enormous historical-cultural value and imagining them as pulsating centers of community life.
“Impronte di Futuro” demonstrates the importance of bringing to light the potential of places that many considered lost,” said Marco Barsalona, one of the organizers of the event. “These plaques are not just a reminder of the past, but a trigger for the future, to imagine new possibilities and uses for spaces that belong to us all.”
During the urban regeneration workshop, held in Piazza San Francesco after the exploratory walk, participants worked in groups to devise innovative uses for the spaces visited. The proposals range from cultural centers to community green spaces, and demonstrate a creativity and desire for commitment to urban renewal that surprise and inspire.
“Impronte di Futuro, episode 1, was a moment of great knowledge and sociability, a real intergenerational comparison that united the community,” continued Marco Barsalona. “We are excited by the ideas that have emerged and will work with local authorities to examine the feasibility of these exciting proposals.”
The “Agrigento in Comune” group plans to organize further editions of “Impronte di Futuro”, continuing to discover new areas of the city and involving citizens in the creation of a sense of community and in the redevelopment of the urban fabric. Information for the second episode of the format will come soon.
