2026: Special Issue. Urban and Territorial Resilience. Urbanism Facing Crisis
Special Issue. Urban and Territorial Resilience. Urbanism Facing Crisis

The Palingenesis of Brownfields Through Nature. A comparative case analysis

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  • Sara Piccirillo,
  • Rosaria Iodice,
  • Benedetta Pastena
Sara Piccirillo
Department of Architecture – DiARC, University of Naples Federico II,
Rosaria Iodice
Department of Architecture – DiARC, University of Naples Federico II
Benedetta Pastena
Department of Architecture – DiARC, University of Naples Federico II,
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/contest-16608

Published 2026-01-29

Keywords

  • Palingenesis,
  • Spontaneous ecology,
  • Brownfield,
  • Environmental justice,
  • Community engagement

How to Cite

Piccirillo, S., Iodice, R., & Pastena, B. (2026). The Palingenesis of Brownfields Through Nature. A comparative case analysis. Contesti. Città, Territori, Progetti, 476–501. https://doi.org/10.36253/contest-16608

Copyright (c) 2026 Sara Piccirillo, Rosaria Iodice, Benedetta Pastena

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Abstract

The research proposes a critical reflection on the self-regenerative potential of brownfields thanks to spontaneous rewilding, envisioning them as laboratories of experimentation capable of triggering alternative and adaptive forms of urban regeneration. Guided by the concepts of urban palingenesis, spontaneous ecologies and common goods, the contribution investigates how episodes of prolonged abandonment can cause unexpected processes of ecological rebirth and civic mobilization. A comparative analysis of three emblematic cases - Canvey Wick (UK), La Goccia (Italy) and Bullicante Lake (Italy) - shows how local communities, associations and informal actors can redefine landscapes, functions and values of brownfields. The comparison highlights a constant tension between top-down models of reclamation and bottom-up approaches of care and re-appropriation, suggesting a paradigmatic shift: moving from technical and standardised interventions to open, relational, multi-species and situated processes.

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