Boschetto Reimagined: Paths, Play, People

Finalist at The Plan Award 2025 / Category: Public Space - Completed

with the project:

Boschetto Reimagined: Paths, Play, People

The project weaves into the context by reconnecting the broken links within the Boschetto neighborhood. The proposed redevelopment gives back to the residents previously underused spaces, enhancing and upgrading the urban fabric. The new pedestrian and cycle paths enable connections with the rest of the neighborhood, encouraging the revitalization of the urban environment. Each intervention was developed with a strong focus on the neighborhood scale.

The project promotes environmental sustainability through targeted interventions that are sensitive to the surrounding context. A central aspect of the intervention is the improvement of the quality of regenerated public spaces, making them more accessible and effectively connected. In particular, the aim is to encourage soft and sustainable mobility by promoting walking and cycling as preferred modes of transport. To achieve this goal, the project includes the creation and enhancement of pedestrian and cycling paths. These routes not only facilitate connections between different areas of the neighborhood but also promote healthier and more environmentally friendly lifestyles. In doing so, they help reduce the overall environmental impact of urban mobility while encouraging outdoor living and active use of public space.

The project focuses on regenerating public space in the Boschetto neighborhood of Nichelino. It includes two squares, cycle and pedestrian paths, a playing field, a fitness area, and a playground. The interventions aim to reconnect fragmented and neglected outdoor areas — disused play zones, deteriorated roads, and missing links. The goal is to return these spaces to the community through a thoughtful spatial design that strengthens local identity and revitalizes the public realm. The central square, home to the Boschetto Neighborhood Committee, acts as both a symbolic and functional anchor for residents. Designing with everyday users in mind was essential: the redevelopment is not merely a formal gesture, but a genuine opportunity for civic engagement and enhanced urban life. The square preserves its symbolic role, enriched by totemic elements. New pedestrian and cycling paths foster sustainable mobility, and a generous play area invites children to explore and imagine. Every element — color, shape, scale — was designed for those who will inhabit these spaces, encouraging positive behaviors and social interaction. Today, more than ever, we must reclaim the human scale in our cities. Places like this can embody our lived relationship with space and time, promoting connection, care, and collective belonging.

Sometimes we think that the difference between a successful project and an unsuccessful one lies in its ability to amaze. But perhaps it hides in the small things: a bench in the right place, a paving that follows the rhythm of our steps, the color of a swing chosen for the children who will play on it. To identify with the sensitivity of the users. We don't need extraordinary forms, but everyday elements capable of holding curiosity and sparking the imagination.

ULTRAMAT Engineering - Boschetto Reimagined In Nichelino (Italy): Paths, Play, People