To bring closer. To forge bonds. To integrate. The urban regeneration of the city of Bari

Abstract

Bari is a city of approximately 300,000 inhabitants located on the Adriatic coast, in the southeast of Italy and at the heart of Puglia. Until the mid-19th century, it was entirely enclosed within its ancient walls. The growth of the urban population, which affected this city like all European cities, led to significant urban development. Its limits were defined by the sea to the north and the railway to the south. The Rossani Barracks, built at the beginning of the 20th century, occupied an almost entirely rural area. With urban development in the 20th century, especially after World War II, the railway increasingly became a major urban divide, and the Rossani Barracks were completely incorporated into the city until their complete decommissioning. In the last twenty years, successive municipal administrations have shown a strong commitment to addressing various projects as part of their political programs: reconnecting the city to the sea, overcoming the urban divide created by the railway, and restoring and repurposing the Rossani Barracks as a cultural and artistic hub.