Rigenerazione di territori urbani marginali. Cooperazione pubblico-privata per il "Consorzio Agrario di Piacenza" Regeneration of marginal urban areas. Public-private cooperation for the "Agricultural Consortium of Piacenza"

Abstract: The experience of Italian Agricultural Consortia has its roots in the early Monti Frumentari (grain banks), but it is with the unification of Italy that these institutions assumed a modern configuration, structured according to cooperative and industrial models. As key players in local agricultural economies, the Consortia settled in strategic areas, developing production facilities and architecturally significant structures that generated employment and fostered a culture of work across generations. Over time, however, shifts in the production system and agricultural markets have led many of these sites into progressive decline, often resulting in underuse or abandonment. This paper examines the emblematic case of the Provincial Agricultural Consortium of Piacenza, whose industrial site is currently the subject of a comprehensive urban regeneration project, promoted through the ‘Molini degli Orti’ Urban Implementation Plan. The intervention, based on a public-private partnership model, stands as a virtuous example of urban transformation in a marginal area, grounded in the reuse of existing assets, the integration of new functions, and a strategy aimed at limiting land consumption. The site’s functional reconfiguration not only addresses sustainability and urban quality goals but also contributes to the socio-economic and identity-driven revitalization of a significant portion of the city.