Colini, Laura; Pecoriello, Anna Lisa; Tripodi, Lorenzo; Zetti, Iacopo (2009). Museumization and transformation in Florence. In: L. Porter, K. Shaw. Whose Urban Renaissance. An international comparison of urban regeneration strategies, pp. 50-59, London: Routledge.
When planning the future of Florence, it is important to engage with its formidable legacy: its global image as the ‘Cradle of the Renaissance’. This study analyses how the city’s iconic identity influences every modernisation effort, transforming urban regeneration programmes into complex and heated political debates.
The analysis reveals a key contradiction: as Florence grapples with the challenges of modernisation, decision-making frequently fluctuates between social conflict and the exploitation of public participation as a mere instrument for achieving consensus. The research explores the challenge of regenerating the city while safeguarding its daily life and ensuring that heritage protection does not hinder sustainable and inclusive development. Ultimately, Florence’s transformation involves continuous negotiation between a mythical past and the need to make the city liveable for its everyday inhabitants.