Learning expedition to Turino: Post-industrial transition and urban transformations

The students of the Governing Ecological Transitions in Cities (GETIC) Track recently took part in a learning expedition to Turin, Italy (12–16 January 2026), organized by Dr Francesca Bragaglia and Dr Leonardo Ramondetti from Politecnico di Torino.

Once an emblematic “one-company town,” Turino today is a laboratory for post-industrial transition, showing how cities confront ecological, social, and economic change through urban imaginaries, spatial practices, and collective action. The expedition explored intertwined challenges: ecological sustainability, social inclusion, and the re-imagining of the post-industrial city.

The programme was structured around three core topics:

•    Ecological Transition and Resilience – strategies for energy, mobility, construction, and green infrastructure.
•    Just Transition: Right to the City and Housing – inclusion, access to housing, and participatory governance.
•    Visions for Guiding the Transition – cultural, spatial, and economic re-imagining of the city, from heritage reuse to new urban narratives.

Students engaged with institutional, private, and civic stakeholders, visited key sites in the Aurora neighbourhood (Turin’s emblematic post-industrial district), and participated in lectures, site visits, and debates, gaining hands-on insights into urban transformation processes. 

Through this learning expedition, students experienced first-hand the complexities of post-industrial urban transformation, combining theory and practice, and reflecting on the social, environmental, and economic dimensions of city-making.