‘Liquid’ equilibria. New semantics for water places in the mountains

The proposed contribution investigates the role of public space design in the regeneration of water places in Italian mountain areas. In an environmental crisis and increasing abandonment scenario, water stands as a central issue of critical discussion, representing for these territories a valuable source of livelihood and, at the same time, a potential danger. In this regard, the article proposes some significant experiences on the double scale of landscape and architecture: within the design framework, public space is an opportunity to establish new balances in the surrounding, intersecting the theme of water with the social and environmental issues affecting mountain areas. The aim is to identify regenerative strategies for the definition of a new semantics for water places, as dynamic and heterogeneous systems open to the current challenges and where communities and environment coexist.