ContrACTIONS Cluj-Napoca: landscape urban strategies for a shrinking city [by Enrico Cigolotti, Guia Cimino, 2011/2012]
Addressing the condition of urban shrinkage, the project investigates vacancy and decline as structural phenomena affecting Cluj-Napoca and other European cities undergoing demographic and economic contraction. Through demographic analysis, economic projections, and comparative case studies, the research reframes decline as an opportunity for spatial reactivation. A series of low-budget, high-impact landscape interventions is proposed, focusing on vacant land, everyday practices, and collective use. Rather than large-scale regeneration, the project explores tactical actions capable of reshaping perception, social interaction, and the relationship between citizens and neglected urban spaces.
