Forum Omegna, 13 June 2025 

Status: Past Event 

On 13 June 2025, the Forum Omegna hosted the opening of the exhibition “La CittàLago”, an initiative developed within the research activities promoted by the Department of Architecture and Urban Studies of Politecnico di Milano. The exhibition presents an extended reflection on the Orta Lake region as a significant case for investigating sustainability challenges and socio-ecological transitions in Italy’s intermediate territories. 

The materials on display originate from the urban planning studios conducted in the academic years 2023–24 and 2024–25, which explored the Cusio area as a privileged observatory for research-by-design. The exhibition highlights the coexistence of multiple spatial, environmental, and socio-economic conditions: varying degrees of reliance on lake-related resources, renewed and historical manufacturing presences, emerging forms of extended living, and growing pressures linked to tourism development. These elements collectively contribute to defining what has been tentatively described as a “lake-city” condition. Organised into four thematic sections—a city with the lake at its centre; the district within the landscape; between waters and forests; extended and multilocal dwelling—the exhibition provides an integrated interpretation of ongoing transformations. 

During the inauguration, the students engaged in a public discussion with invited guests, including Francesco Rizzi (USI – Università della Svizzera italiana), the Ecomuseo Cusius, Fondazione P.Ar.C.O., local administrations and key regional stakeholders. 

Fondazione Catella, Milan, 1–3 October 2025 

Status: Past Event 

The InterPED research team participated in the DUT PED Conference, held in Milan from 1 to 3 October 2025, an international event dedicated to Positive Energy Districts and urban energy transitions. The conference brought together researchers, practitioners, and institutional actors engaged in developing PED strategies across Europe. 

InterPED contributed to the programme with a poster presentation illustrating the project’s objectives, methodological framework, and early activities. The contribution focused on the relevance of intermediate territories in the European energy transition, outlining the project’s co-productive approach and its planned cross-country comparative structure. Participation in the conference provided an important opportunity to situate InterPED within the wider DUT community, strengthen exchanges with other PED-related initiatives, and consolidate the project’s dissemination and networking actions.