Nascita, evoluzione e prospettive di due insediamenti rurali di colonizzazione: Borgo Carso e La Bazana

In Italy and Spain, under the colonisation policies of the 20th century, different villages were built as a strategic effort to improve rural areas. Overtime such villages have been subject to external and internal drivers of change with direct and indirect effects on its socio-economic, cultural, physical and environmental context. In the face of such challenges and due to the need to adapt to new requirements, activities, and functions, the design ideas that initially steered the development of the villages suffered several shifts. Thus, existing villages of colonisation in Italy and Spain hold valuable information to achieve a better understanding of spatial transformations, expansion processes and the links between material and immaterial heritage in ad hoc settlements. The two villages we analysed during the workshop – Borgo Carso (built in 1931) in Latina, Italy and La Bazana (built in 1954) in Badajoz, Spain – are particularly interesting as both were designed to have just one connection to the remaining urban system (insediamento a terminazione) and both present a strong relationship with the rural landscape. Yet, a closer and more updated look reveals different development and expansion trajectories and in order to get a better understanding of such dynamics, an analysis was carried on non-material aspects (such as historic background, socio-economic and demographic trends) as well as on material elements (such as the urban and architectonic features, including road connections, public spaces, uses and social facilities). It was then possible to draw an interpretation for the expansion patterns that each town experienced, which highlighted complex relations with the spatial context and with landscape. At last we developed and propose some project and design suggestions envisaging possible future developments for both villages. By focusing on these two cases and carrying a comparative analysis we hope to give a better sense of the colonisation practices and outcomes in Italy and Spain, while providing interesting hints on urban problems of ad hoc settlements and the echo it has on the heritage value of the urban fabric and architecture of each country.