On 21th of March the Municipality of Rome submitted to the UCCN LAB.2030 the application of “Open House Roma” as a good practice for the city’s commitment towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Open House is a major architecture-related project involving 4 continents, with 25 cities taking part in the Open House Worldwide international event. The Open House concept was founded in London in 1992. The first edition of Open House Roma has been held in 2012.

“Open House Roma” is a yearly event spanning over just one weekend and allowing the general public – citizens and tourists – to access hundreds of architecturally and artistically relevant sites and venues for free.

Guided tours are led by the very same designers, students of the faculty of Architecture of Roman universities and architecture lovers. Bike and walking tours, together with many special events, allow visitors to discover the hidden heritage of the Eternal City. Open House Rome involves many of those sites and areas which are usually not accessible to the general public due to their function or daily use.

What makes a difference between this event and other similar ones is the focus on Rome’s modern and contemporary heritage, rather than concentrating on historical sites only. This is the reason why the event also grants access to those sites where works are still “in progress” to build the city of tomorrow.

In a nutshell: the relationship between the spaces where we live and the perception of our quality of life is of crucial importance. A better knowledge and deeper awareness of those spaces increase citizens’ willingness and ability to take care, improve, embellish public areas and engage them at a new level in the decision-making process.

The main objectives of the initiative are:

  • Changing people’s perceptions of their city and their sense of ownership.
  • Encouraging people to understand the city as a ‘shared’ space that is co-created and the city’s inhabitants have the power to change the city, promoting active citizenship: when people are informed and empowered they can participate in the decision making process and hold those who make the final decisions accountable.
  • Enhancing the valorisation of both the hidden and historical heritage.
  • Reducing the gap between the public and the private sector.
  • Offering experiences and encouraging dialogue about architecture, development and care of the city.
  • Fostering direct exchange between citizens and public institutions, thus making the general public more aware of the quality of architecture and urban space as well as improving the understanding of the stakeholders’ know-how.

Open House contributes towards the implementation of the following goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development:

Goal #4: ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

Goal #8: promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

Goal #9: build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

Goal #10: reduce inequality within and among countries

Goal #11: make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Goal #16: promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

Open House contributes to the international shift toward greater public participation in city design. The main impacts are in the fields of: dialogue, collaborative learning, casual collision, city’s perception and active citizenship.

The 2018 edition of Open House Roma will be held on May 12-13.

https://www.openhouseroma.org/