Nuove forme di urbanità di costa: rifigurare scenari nei contesti dismessi del patrimonio costruito litoraneo

The changes in socio-economic factors, coupled with the reasoning behind utilising developed coastal regions, unveil contemporary coastal contexts in which decommissioning emerges as a crucial theme for design and research. This essay moves away from the notion of ‘generic landscape’ and delves into the concept of a 'distinct landscape' for coastal systems, identifiable by the multitude of specific conditions that have shaped it, as they undergo functional transitions. The notion of ‘distinct landscape’ enables, on one hand, the intellectual awareness of urban areas investigated on territorial scale, on the other, circumvents the sense of elusiveness that stems from their immense vastness. The importance of a distinct landscape is emphasised, as opposed to the ambiguity of a generic landscape, to advance with established procedural systems, associated with the distinctiveness of the elements that constitute both the material and symbolic essence of a place. Along the coastline defining Senigallia's waterfront, a series of unique figures emerge, collectively moulding the city's profile. We endeavour to highlight three distinct landscapes in this essay: the Port, the Rotonda, and the Colonies. Each possesses its own individuality, a blend of circumstances, historical imprints, unrealised potentials, and values. Uniting these contexts within a single narrative allows for a comprehensive examination of the transformative dynamics of this coastal built environment. More crucially, it encourages contemplation on the appropriateness of the instruments and intervention levels when engaging with landscape components. The essay examines, through the perspective of regeneration project methodologies, the transformation circumstances of two distinct coastal contexts: one of partial restoration and the other commencing with unequivocal demolition, forsaking the recollection of a multifaceted, industrial, and urban milieu. These exemplify two approaches to decommissioning. The first delves into the interplay between memory, architecture, nature, and property development perspective, while the second envisions a reimagined urban-maritime landscape. The still incomplete outcomes of these two transformation processes reveal the delicate nature of a system that, while attuned to socio-environmental concerns and the vital preservation of heritage, persistently faces procedural disruptions and reassessments. This leads to a disjointed series of urban metamorphoses, which may be compiled into a collection of discrete, self-governing endeavours.