Eco-District Lazzaretto, Bologna

Collective green areas for an evolving city

Typology

Masterplan Park Streets and Plazas

Program

Public place Residential

Perspective

Urban Regeneration

Location

44.520 092, 11.313 100

The Ecodistrict reinterprets living as a collective experience, where sustainability, urban connections, and sociality come together in an integrated ecosystem. The project valorises green as an active infrastructure, creating spaces that regenerate the city and strengthen the sense of community. Thus, it gives Bologna a new reference point for contemporary living.

A new way of life is taking shape in the Bertalia-Lazzaretto district. The Nuovo Ecodistretto (New Ecodistrict), winner of the international competition promoted by the Municipality of Bologna, is a model of a sustainable city in which nature, architecture, and community intertwine in a dynamic balance. The project stands out for its ability to transform the urban landscape into a true ecosystem, connecting existing green spaces with new living and social spaces.

The intervention's beating heart is the cycle-pedestrian greenway that follows the route of the Ghisiliera canal, connecting the neighbourhood with the city centre in just a few minutes. This green corridor is just an axis of sustainable mobility and a place for meeting and interaction, where the landscape becomes the protagonist of the urban experience. Around this natural infrastructure, buildings are developed and designed to integrate with the context and return open, liveable, and shared spaces to the community.

The project's fulcrum is the large urban courtyard, a pedestrian area free from traffic and conceived as a sequence of open-air rooms bathed in light and greenery. Here, functions and activities are mixed, creating a dynamic, welcoming environment that stimulates sociability and strengthens neighbourhood ties. The buildings, with their varying heights and colours inspired by the historical centre of Bologna, frame this space, offering a sense of continuity with the existing city. Sustainability is not only environmental but also social. The balconies turn from simple walkways into spontaneous meeting places. Equipped roofs and community greenhouses transform roofs into productive spaces, promoting urban agriculture and improving the microclimate. On the ground floor, courtyards and recreational spaces bring community life outdoors.