VERSIONE ITALIANA






Seeds Under the Snow







Bergamo, a medium-sized city in Northern Italy, is located right on the border between the hyper-industrialized and densely populated Po Valley and the nature reserves of the Alps. Faced with the impact of global challenges at the local level, urgent questions arise regarding a more equitable social change that includes community care, ecological circular economy, and more prudent use of resources.

The project “Seeds Under the Snow” positions itself at the intersection of contemporary cultural, social and environmental urban challenges and presents an experimental laboratory to promote social cohesion, sustainable resource use, and collective action. It focuses on working with urban commons and methods of self-building as a means of facilitating autonomous civic activities that support local communities in addressing pressing urban challenges.

The aim is to bring together various stakeholders active in Bergamo to learn from each other and jointly build innovative urban infrastructures - through experiments in urban agriculture, sustainable food, waste management and personal well-being.
The project is divided into two components. First, the different groups come together in a blended format to share their existing practices and methodologies. The second component is the applied format of a summer school to test and implement experimental strategies on the ground. The summer school connects active members of the community with experts in the field and invites young participants to explore alternative scenarios for dealing creatively and collectively with urban challenges while living and working together on the project site.




3 locations

a peripheral park
an urban garden in the historical center
a fruit garden on the hillside




1 nomadic society

local associations,  citizens, experienced practitioners from architecture/design/botanic, international students




8 days

an intense week of co-habitation, exploration, co-design and co-construction, in September







If we could live all together everywhere, 
how would we do it?



Could we occupy the city
as we were planting seeds,
and watch them grow?




Could we be light, and dispersed, 
and yet shape our cities
with strength and care?











    questions? write us at
    societa.nomade@gmail.com