design solutions to reconnect with nature

How may we activate the community so that it becomes more supportive, aware and promoter of community well-being and care for the earth?

Western civilisation, due to urbanization and increasingly frenetic lifestyles, is becoming increasingly disconnected from nature and solidary relations with Others. Increasing isolation and loss of familiarity with nature and its rhythms bring with it growing psychological and social discomfort. It has been proven in many cases that a relationship with nature can lower stress levels and increase socio-psycho-physical well-being. The experience of community and collective gardens is able to strengthen relationships and commitment in the implementation of actions of care for the Earth (soil regeneration, food production, respect for biodiversity, seed recovery). In community gardens, personal, cultural and physical diversities are valorised, allowing everyone to make their skills available to the community garden.

Many community gardens experience difficulties in involving local people, partly due to a lack of attraction to active participation, partly due to ineffective communication, and partly due to a difficulty in connecting community garden experiences with civil society. Civil society is often unaware of the reality of community gardens in its own community and does not know the direct and indirect benefits it can gain from participating in them.

Community garden is not only cultivation but a place for meeting, exchange of skills, social activation and education (environmental, welcoming…).

Bloom wants to be a tool that can support community gardens to involve more people in the area. Allowing the garden to gain more visibility and become more attractive to people who can see the direct and indirect benefits they can obtain by participating in the various activities related to the garden, finding and exchanging the skills that everyone has, or can obtain from participation.

Bloom is an innovative digital space that supports community gardens using gamification and mutuality dynamics. Citizens put their skills (knowledge, work, time) at the disposal of the garden’s various activities and accumulate leaf points by cultivating, tending the garden, exchanging equipment and co-organising events, workshops, courses. Leaf points can be used to access goods (vegetables or food), participate in training events and obtain rewards (e.g. discounts in local ethical activities). A digital web-app supports activity management and progress monitoring, making the project accessible and engaging for all, even the digitally-impaired by creating phygital experiences. Bloom promotes social inclusion and the circular economy by creating a network of interconnected gardens and active communities that is sustainable and replicable on a national and European level. In a second period, an exchange of skills between the gardens at European level is envisaged, enabling participants to benefit from courses/workshops/work experience in the network’s gardens.

In recent years, alongside traditional educational offerings, increasing importance has been given to initiatives promoted by educational departments, research groups, or education specialists, organized either locally or within museum spaces. These services and initiatives are often the exclusive preserve of large metropolitan centers, where citizens can easily access a wide range of cultural offerings. Conversely, highland areas and marginal territories suffer from landscape impoverishment, reduced cultural consumption, and depopulation, often aggravated by practices of patrimonializing traditional landmark assets or by exploitative tourism.

The proposal envisions the establishment of an entrepreneurial entity capable of providing alternative educational services to the more institutional ones, with the aim of restoring the now depleted network of services, addressing the need for civitas (citizen services) even in highland areas, and distancing itself from the impoverishing concept of urbe (the blind transposition of metropolitan dynamics into highlands, turning them into an alpine playground). Aware of the rich landscape and cultural heritage of the highlands, the project seeks to leverage art and contemporary practices to implement the preservation of intangible heritage, as suggested by the UNESCO 2003 Convention and the Faro Convention 2005. These approaches, which emphasize community participation, are favored over the more static and museum-like practices typical of the late 20th century. Likewise, the proposal aims to restore the collective identity often lost when individuals find themselves in the non-places theorized by Augé, focusing on the importance of the landscape for the individual.

CloudFlows are a system whose ultimate goal is to change the behavior of a community, shifting from a curative approach (I get sick and take medicine to recover) to a preventive one, involving the individual, society, and the environment, with a focus on mental, physical, and environmental health.
CloudFlows are hubs of people from the same locality (neighborhood, small town) that deliver creative and impactful activities, involving three entities belonging to the same social fabric: children and teachers (from the same school), parents and caregivers of children (grandparents, babysitters), local businesses.

In a given community, one or more CloudFlows can emerge, such as: healthy eating, physical activity and movement in nature, relaxation and reconnection with the natural environment, artistic expression with recycled materials, resource management, and recycling.

The initial CloudFlow could have healthy eating as its theme. The CloudFlow involves domain experts and representatives of the three entities. Participants in the CloudFlow sign a Pact of Intent and implement an impact monitoring plan.

The CloudFlow proposes activities related to its themes simultaneously to schools, parents, caregivers, and businesses to monitor changes over time. For example, the Food-themed CloudFlow will propose that school children create and maintain a vegetable garden and participate in cooking classes with healthy ingredients. Simultaneously, it will offer families and caregivers cooking courses with healthy ingredients, information on where to buy healthy foods, and meetings with a nutritionist. To businesses (e.g., the local bakery), it will demonstrate the benefits of switching from primarily using all-purpose flour to using type 2 or whole wheat flour. To the local farm, it will propose school activities and offer an agronomist to help reduce fertilizer use.

A CloudFlow is composed of experts, representatives of teachers, parents and caregivers, businesses, creatives, and the CloudFlow team who collaboratively write and sign the Pact of Intent, a document that defines the CloudFlow’s purpose, monitors its impact, and sets guidelines. All participants in the CloudFlow are genuine stakeholders in the community project.

By 2025, we aim to activate the first CloudFlow in a neighborhood or small town, including first-grade classes from an elementary school, parents and caregivers of the children, and two businesses. If the pilot is successful, we will continue by including new classes and opening new CloudFlows. The project is fully scalable and replicable in different countries across Europe.

By 2025, we will use locations provided by the municipality (community halls, gyms, squares, parks) and later consider establishing an official CloudFlow headquarters.

Funding for 2025 and subsequent years (at least until 2028) will come from public sources such as European grants and the PNRR. Afterward, we may explore whether some companies are interested in becoming shareholders of the CloudFlow.

Augmented reality and gamification app to visualise potential futures scenarios, based on active choices made throughtout the game. The user within a natural environment (i.e. forest), supported by low-impact infrastructures (QRcodes), frames the sourroundings with her selfphone and visualises possible future scenarios affected by climate-change. The user has to react to pop-ups input and questions: the type of answers define the response of the environment and the scenario shifts. For instance, a potential question could be “How did you get here?” “By car”, “by public transport”, “by bike”. If the answer is “by car” then the trees would start to suffer, on the contrary, if the answer is “by bike” the nature would flourished. Questions and scenarios are site-specific and potentially co-developed with local communities (i.e. schools) and local experts. The gamification part entails 1) a reward system based on the % of the correct answers contributing to local economy (voucher systems); 2) sharing the results within the users’ community (at the end of the game a statistic will appear showing the general level of awareness).

IF is scalable to reach different target groups (children, teenagers, elders and experts on the topics – university students), supplied with and audio track to guarantee accessibility for people with visual impairments and to be adapted to different environments.

IF aims to immerge the users and trigger theirs emotions. The first-hand experience allows to gain consciousness regarding the consequences of our actions on the environment. IF facilitates the imagination of what will happen in the future if we do not act now! At the same time, it gives practical ideas for daily best practices to reduce our impact on the planet.

The project aims to promote awareness of the “water resources” theme and raise sensitivity towards its conscious use.

The choice of the scenario was motivated by the local reality and territorial belonging of the Group’s members.

The project is primarily aimed at new generations, i.e., children aged between 9 and 12, in collaboration with families and the school institution, with the aim of increasing the sense of community and inclusion. The choice of this target is justified by the belief that new generations can respond positively to stimuli, as they are curious and more motivated.

A fundamental tool for monitoring consumption habits among the involved subjects is the design of an educational-didactic APP, in which music plays an integral role thanks to the presence of a thematic song.

The project’s first phase will be implemented in schools during the first semester of the 2025/2026 school year and will serve as a preparatory stage, developed through the expertise of teachers and potentially external experts. The educational activity will be preceded by the preparation of the materials essential for the activation of the educational program (expected timeframe: from February to August 2025).

The use of the App will allow shifting the focus from a global and universal perspective to a local and particular one, with the awareness that individuals can positively contribute to the improvement of the current situation.

The project aims to create a digital platform to connect the associations of the third sector present in the Valtellina area. Its purpose is to respond to the specific needs of these organizations by optimizing communication and the management of activities and events through digital tools. This platform, which will be co-designed in collaboration with the Regional Coordination for Volunteer Centers (CSV) and the associations themselves, represents a step forward in improving collaboration and the transversality of relationships among the involved entities.
The central idea of the project is based on a preliminary collection of the associations’ needs, which will be actively engaged throughout the development process of the platform.

Genuibit is the first traceability and certification system that integrates art with technology to create accessible and emotional data communication. The proposal consists of an innovative system aimed at local consortia, designed for the collection, processing, and dissemination of information related to crops. The sensor kit, promoted by the consortia, allows monitoring of environmental parameters specific to each crop, providing a comprehensive overview of the product’s progress in the area. Installed directly by producers, the system offers an economically accessible solution for the certification of product authenticity. This is made possible thanks to the financial support from the consortium members, who facilitate the purchase of the kit at a competitive price, along with a small monthly subscription for the producers. With this structure, producers not only gain access to the certification system but also have the opportunity to select an artist from the available pool to commission personalized artworks that convey the authenticity of the product.

The involvement of artists is one of the key innovations of Genuibit: through the creative interpretation of the collected data, an experiential narrative of the product is created, combining art and science. This approach allows art to complement data, building an empathetic bridge that reconnects consumers to the story and values behind each product, offering a unique perspective on the journey that brings food to their table.

In this way, Genuibit not only supports consortia in achieving transparent and valuable certification, but also provides small producers with advanced communication tools capable of enhancing the genuineness and authenticity of their work. The goal is to make it accessible for all producers, even the smallest ones, to enhance their products and tell the story of their uniqueness through data and art.

Genuibit Wine is the specific kit designed for wine cultivation, which will be launched starting in the Valtellina region. With the support of consortia, the idea aims to expand beyond Valtellina and Lombardy, so that empathetic data communication can become a new storytelling model for various products and territories for the end consumer.

Genuibit is a dynamic name that today focuses on “wine,” but in the future, it could evolve, scaling the same model to tell the story of countless typical products, highlighting their uniqueness.

ReLeaf is an innovative startup aimed at bringing relief and well-being to natural and human communities through the revitalization of abandoned green spaces. Immersed in a future context characterized by the sharing of natural resources, ReLeaf addresses a crucial question: how can the surplus of these resources, with a focus on unused public green areas, be transformed into vectors for regeneration and collective well-being?

The company’s integrated approach involves several phases. First, it maps the territory to identify abandoned green areas. Once these spaces are located, it conducts a participatory ethnographic analysis that actively engages the local population. This co-creation process ensures that the opinions and needs of the community are at the heart of the work, fostering a strong sense of belonging and gathering valuable data to inform future decisions.

Based on the collected information, ReLeaf develops strategic plans with practical solutions for the regeneration of the identified areas. These plans include guidelines to ensure compliance with environmental standards, making sure that the actions taken are sustainable and respectful of the ecological context. Once approved by public authorities, the company facilitates connections with environmental professionals and ecosystem services teams, ensuring effective and lasting outcomes.

ReLeaf targets two main categories of clients: on one side, public entities that benefit from regeneration services, and on the other, environmental professionals who can increase their visibility and offer their expertise. The company’s mission is to serve as a bridge between the needs of communities and the skills of experts, promoting sustainable and inclusive change. In this way, ReLeaf not only brings life and value back to abandoned spaces but also contributes to a healthier environment and a united, engaged community.

The vision is clear: to transform neglected green areas into opportunities for sustainable development, promoting collective well-being for both the territory and the communities. With this initiative, the company aspires to create a future in which natural resources are managed in a shared and responsible manner, contributing to a cohesive and conscious society. Through its commitment, ReLeaf aims to inspire positive change, representing an opportunity for a new era of collaboration and ecological regeneration.

BeLong is a mediation service that connects two seemingly distant yet complementary realities: the Valtellina region, which has the lowest rate of permanently occupied homes in Italy (only 44% according to ISTAT data), and urban workers seeking an authentic experience of reconnecting with nature and community. Our goal is to offer a regeneration opportunity for those who, while not wanting to become digital nomads, are nearing burnout and wish to temporarily distance themselves from the metropolitan hustle.

In response to these needs, we have structured a service of territorial research, mediation, and assurance. In practical terms, it is configured as a corporate welfare product, allowing employees to spend a minimum of one month in smart working in Valtellina, integrating with the territory and its community. We select currently vacant homes and organize training activities to prepare users for a sustainable stay. Furthermore, a key aspect of our strategy is to create synergies with local associations. This generates a positive dynamic: a reciprocal enrichment and interdependence between the involved parties, who become part of the same ecosystem. This mutual exchange strengthens relationships, creating a virtuous cycle of growth and inclusivity. The Valtellina region will benefit from a constant and responsible presence that stimulates the local economy and enhances the area’s resources.

Another potential long-term outcome is that these temporary residents might become permanent ones, addressing a critical need of the region.

This innovative approach offers multiple benefits: companies improve their employees’ well-being and strengthen their image by offering sustainable welfare options, thus increasing their attractiveness.

A team of local residents will welcome newcomers, providing a point of reference and introducing them to the local life and traditions. This guided phase serves as a catalyst for initiating an individual process of openness to the territory, sparking curiosity and interest in fully experiencing the host region. In the medium/long term, the experience evolves from a temporary stay to a true sense of belonging, transforming those who arrive as temporary guests into integral parts of the local life.

Once the experience has begun, our role will be to ensure that the project is carried out in compliance with environmental and social balances, monitoring that the proposed activities align with principles of sustainability and inclusivity.

The business model is economically sustainable for BeLong thanks to the initial investment from partner companies, with a return on investment expected within two years and a forecast to triple the investment in five years. BeLong represents a concrete and replicable solution for revitalizing less populated areas, promoting worker well-being, and supporting sustainable and inclusive economic development.

The “Valtellina 114 – Podcast” project was created with the aim of promoting light and sustainable tourism along the Valtellina Path through a community podcast that focuses on the active participation of both locals and tourists. This initiative is set within the “New Commons” framework, serving as a tool to enhance the Valtellina region, with a particular emphasis on environmental issues and climate change.

The podcast has a dual purpose: on one hand, it aims to raise awareness and share knowledge about sustainable environmental practices; on the other, it offers tools and skills related to podcast creation, including storytelling, theater, and narrative, actively involving the local community. Through stories, testimonies, and creative narratives, the project seeks to promote an authentic immersion into the region, fostering a shared vision of the future that respects Valtellina’s environmental and landscape characteristics.

In 2050 …

1. Commercial interests are compatible with artistic ideals, as cultural and creative sectors are recognized for both their intrinsic artistic value and their economic value, capable of generating growth, competitiveness, creativity, and innovation.
2. In order to make European culture competitive on a global level, the European Union supports transnational circulation and the co-production of works between different states to make works accessible beyond national borders, while preserving the cultural and linguistic diversity of individual states.
3. Entities operating in the cultural and creative sectors have received adequate training on environmental sustainability and can provide services in full compliance with current regulations.
4. The organic waste materials that began to be used in the 1920s are the new standard, and new ones are emerging.
5. Technology—particularly virtual reality and augmented reality—plays a fundamental role in the production of culture, extending its audience. For this reason, studies on the impact generated by technology have advanced and allow for decisions that align with the objectives of the Green Deal, especially in the audiovisual sector.
6. Education is no longer based solely on the rigid paradigm of formal learning; rather, it is a hybrid between traditional approaches and alternative learning methods, particularly home-schooling, given the increasing number of digital nomads.
7. Lifelong Learning is adopted, not with the utilitarian aim of improving individuals’ productivity, but with the humanistic aspiration of enhancing society.. Ciò ha permesso la creazione di un sistema educativo flessibile, inclusivo e diffuso.
8. Education is predominantly outdoor from early childhood, so that children can become familiar with their surrounding nature and learn to take care of it from a young age, through structured activities aimed at this purpose.
9. Education, art, and culture play a key role in the development of a shared ecological consciousness.

Nel 2050 …

1. Le cooperative di comunità si sono diffuse esponenzialmente, sopperendo al bisogno di servizi per il welfare ed alleggerendo le pubbliche amministrazioni.
2. Le cooperative di comunità migliorano la qualità della vita locale e rendono i territori più resilienti attraverso l’utilizzo sostenibile delle risorse e la creazione di nuovi servizi e opportunità.
3. Le cooperative di comunità rigenerano le economie locali, rafforzano il senso di appartenenza e promuovono la sostenibilità a lungo termine attraverso l’impegno collettivo e la valorizzazione delle risorse del territorio.
4. Le foreste sono valorizzate come ecosistemi complessi, contribuendo a un’economia sostenibile e climaticamente neutra con strategie di gestione innovative.
5. Le foreste vengono gestite in modo sostenibile, integrando biodiversità e servizi ecosistemici, per garantire benessere delle comunità e ripristino degli ecosistemi.
6. Le aree naturali vengono rigenerate e protette, con il 30% del territorio nazionale tutelato, promuovendo la biodiversità e il ripristino degli ecosistemi.
7. La tecnologia rende possibile uno sviluppo più sistematico e strutturato di reti di acquisto, riciclo, riuso e condivisione.
8. Il consumo alimentare si trasforma, favorendo il collegamento tra cittadini e produttori locali, riducendo l’impatto ambientale e promuovendo un’economia più giusta e sostenibile.
9. Il coworking e il co-living promuovono un ambiente collaborativo e sostenibile, trasformando il modo in cui lavoriamo e viviamo, contribuendo a una società più coesa e connessa.
10. Gli spazi di coworking e co-living favoriscono l’innovazione e il benessere, supportando la crescita delle competenze e creando comunità resilienti e solidali, pronte ad affrontare le sfide del futuro.

Nel 2050, l’Italia …

1. Sviluppa infrastrutture idriche innovative per recuperare e riutilizzare le acque reflue, assicurando disponibilità di acqua potabile in ogni regione.
2. Sviluppa sistemi di monitoraggio e prevenzione per ridurre significativamente i danni da eventi climatici estremi, rafforzando la resilienza delle comunità locali e riducendo i danni economici e umani del 40% nelle regioni vulnerabili.
3. Promuove la cooperazione tra le comunità locali per garantire la gestione sostenibile delle risorse idriche, riducendo la dispersione nelle reti del 50%.
4. Promuove l’innovazione tecnologica nelle centrali idroelettriche per ottimizzare l’efficienza energetica e ridurre le perdite idriche, garantendo un uso sostenibile delle risorse
5. Protegge e si gestisce in modo attivo l’acqua dolce, mitigando gli effetti dello scioglimento dei ghiacciai e garantendo un futuro sostenibile per le comunità montane e le risorse idriche del Paese.
6. Riqualifica gli spazi urbani per promuovere l’agricoltura sostenibile, riducendo le emissioni di gas serra e garantendo cibo fresco e accessibile.
7. Integra soluzioni basate sulla natura per trasformare le aree verdi urbane in spazi resilienti che migliorano la gestione delle acque, promuove la biodiversità e offre co-benefici socio-economici, contribuendo a combattere gli impatti del cambiamento climatico nelle città.
8. Garantisce l’accesso a acqua potabile sicura e di qualità, riducendo l’inquinamento da microplastiche e malattie idro-diffuse, per proteggere la salute di tutti e prevenire la morte di bambini per malattie.
9. Investe in tecnologie innovative per gestire le risorse idriche, garantendo una maggiore resilienza alle siccità e preservando l’acqua per le generazioni future.

Nel 2050, l’Italia …

1. Innova costantemente nelle tecnologie di raffreddamento urbano per migliorare la vivibilità delle città e ridurre il consumo energetico.
2. Collega le comunità energetiche rinnovabili per creare una rete di solidarietà energetica che riduce le disuguaglianze e promuove l’uguaglianza nell’accesso all’energia.
3. Guida la transizione verso un sistema energetico completamente rinnovabile, dimostrando un futuro sostenibile possibile e vantaggioso per tutti.
4. Implementa pratiche di design integrato e innovazioni sociali per trasformare gli edifici in spazi a zero energia e zero emissioni, contribuendo a un futuro sostenibile.
5. Sostiene la crescita dei distretti di produzione a chilometro zero, promuovendo l’acquisto di cibo biologico e locale per garantire freschezza e ridurre l’impatto ambientale.
6. Ripristina gli ecosistemi naturali e implementa pratiche di gestione sostenibile per ridurre il 85% degli incendi nelle regioni più colpite, garantendo un futuro più sicuro per le foreste.
7. Aumenta la consapevolezza ambientale e incoraggia le iniziative comunitarie per mitigare l’impatto delle isole di calore nelle città, migliorando la qualità della vita per l’80% della popolazione urbana.
8. Investe massicciamente nella ricerca e sviluppo di soluzioni innovative per affrontare gli impatti dei cambiamenti climatici sulla salute pubblica, collaborando con istituzioni internazionali per condividere conoscenze e risorse.
9. Promuove la resilienza climatica attraverso la valorizzazione delle infrastrutture verdi e blu, integrando soluzioni naturali nella pianificazione urbana.

Nel 2050 …

1. La popolazione mondiale è aumentata esponenzialmente, mentre quella italiana è diminuita, arrivando ad un rapporto 1:1 tra i cittadini in età lavorativa e non (intendendo con “età lavorativa” la fascia di età tra i 15 e i 64 anni)
2. La produzione agricola è più florida grazie all’aumento delle popolazioni di impollinatori e può sfamare la popolazione globale crescente, facendo guadagnare all’Europa un ruolo cruciale nel mercato alimentare mondiale.
3. Il riscaldamento globale è stato contenuto entro 1.5°C grazie anche al ripristino di tutti gli ecosistemi bisognosi di recupero.
4. L’inquinamento atmosferico non è più nocivo per gli esseri viventi e la maggior parte della popolazione può continuare a vivere nelle città.
5. La mobilità interna tra regioni o tra comuni della stessa regione è aumentata, anche a causa degli effetti del cambiamento climatico.
6. Le persone residenti nelle aree più colpite dagli effetti del cambiamento climatico hanno trasferito la propria residenza prevalentemente nelle aree montane.
7. Le aree montane sono il principale scenario di lavoro da remoto per gli abitanti delle città, risolvendo così il problema della mancanza di impiego in queste aree e permettendo di lavorare in condizioni ragionevoli almeno nei mesi più caldi.
8. Esistono nuove forme di tutela della montagna per fare in modo che la migrazione verso questi territori non danneggi un ecosistema già fragile in partenza.
9. Ci sono nuovi strumenti di governance che regolano i rapporti tra la montagna e la metropoli
10. Non esistono più i voli low-cost ed al loro posto ci sono incentivi verso modelli di mobilità sostenibile come i cammini ed il cicloturismo.