Young users for the Wetlands retraining and the industrial/port archaeology of Boretto Po

Repopulate a place means helping the existing inhabitants to stop the slow decline and forgetfulness of his past. The instance of Boretto Po is emblematic. Boretto, along with Brescello, Gualtieri, Guastalla and Luzzara, is part of five urban areas of Reggio Emilia district, at the site of the middle Po river, between the exit of the Enza and the Oglio. The close coexistence of the inhabitants of Boretto with Po has seen a series of crafts and activities now completely abandoned. The transformation and disappearance of these abilities are the main witness of the profound changes which occurred during the ‘900, with major impacts on the social and economic aspects as well as territorial and environmental dimensions. Inland navigation and shipbuilding, main sources of employment after agriculture, from the 20s to late 70s of last century, have followed in Boretto, after the rapid growth, an equally rapid decline. The life of the river has failed. Since 2005 the Laboratory of Composition Design II (prof. Visentin), Faculty of Architecture in Parma, in consultation with Boretto municipal administration, is implementing a series of studies and proposals for the reconversion of Civil Engineers buildings and of the close whole wetlands on the Po river, which provides retraining new uses (architectures for receiving University facilities offices), and preservation of industrial/port archaeology. Not only the now customary eco-museal conversion and tourist itineraries, but proposals for a new typology of young people aware to integrate the original identity of the place.