The City Project

The book series The City Project reports on applied research and operational developments that promote urban renewal and the sustainable transformation of contemporary cities. Inspired by the “City of Man” as imagined by Adriano Olivetti and Ernesto Nathan Rogers, and going beyond the concept of the smart city and related technological advances, the series’ goal is to present holistic, practice-oriented and multidisciplinary strategies for realizing the City 4.0, i.e., the city of the fourth industrial revolution, in keeping with the objectives of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In particular, the series reports on effective design, planning and management approaches that leverage urban and architectural design skills, engineering, environmental and social expertise, and administrative abilities alike. It welcomes books on each of the aspects mentioned above, as well as studies analyzing multiple aspects, their interactions and/or holistic solutions. The City Project addresses a very broad readership, including designers, engineers, architects, social scientists, stakeholders and public administrators, who deal with various aspects of the realization of the City 4.0. It publishes theoretical investigations into the contemporary built environment, international case studies, and pilot projects concerning urban renewal and the regeneration of urban areas, as well as the proceedings of key international conferences.

Books published in this series are devoted to supporting education, professional training and public administration. Outstanding PhD theses on emerging topics, if properly reworked, may also be considered for publication. The series is published with the support of the Smart City 4.0 Sustainable LAB, an interdisciplinary teaching and research project on future cities initiated by the University of Parma, and jointly implemented with other regional universities (the University of Bologna, University of Ferrara, and University of Modena and Reggio Emilia).

About the Cover

The cover of the book series The City Project features a painting by Carlo Mattioli (C. Mattioli, Estate in Versilia, 1974, oil on canvas cm. 118 X 70, Catalog n. 1974D0029, Courtesy of Fondazione Carlo Mattioli, thanks to Anna Zaniboni Mattioli)

The horizon of poppies painted by Carlo Mattioli between the dark background of the forest and the white plane of the wheat, becomes for us, thanks to a transfiguration of meaning that aligns with the attitude towards abstraction rooted in the figure of the painter, a city which is intertwined with its landscape, evoking the idea and the possibility of recomposing a balance and seeking an integration between settlement and environment, between human space and natural element.