Urban regeneration: Italy wins big at the European Heritage Awards 2026

Urban regeneration: Italy wins big at the European Heritage Awards 2026

Italy secured five of the 30 prizes awarded at the European Heritage Awards 2026, promoted by the Creative Europe programme. The winning projects provide concrete examples of how heritage valorisation can become an engine for urban regeneration, social inclusion and local cultural development.

• DumBO (Distretto Urbano Multifunzionale), Bologna: regeneration of a 40,000 m² disused railway area through minimal, reversible interventions now hosting labs, affordable offices and cultural activities.
• Complesso Monastico del Polirone, San Benedetto Po (MN): post-earthquake restoration that returned public functions to the historic complex, converting it into a venue for events, education and civic practices.
• ASRI – National Historical Archive of Italian Restorers: a research and digitisation project creating a public database that opens previously closed professional archives.
• HIMASS: an international summer school combining modern structural analysis with traditional principles in the approach to historic masonry buildings.
• Intorno a Minerva, Breno (BS): transformation of an archaeological park into a space for intercultural dialogue, engaging refugees, students and local communities.

These awards emphasise that heritage protection is not mere conservation: it can reactivate social ties, create economic opportunities and rethink urban spaces in ways that benefit local communities.