Beiruting News

The Beirut edition of “La città in scena. Urban Regeneration: the Italian way to a sustainable future” has concluded yesterday at Abroyan Factory in Bourj Hammoud. Promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by ANCE, Mecenate 90 ETS and Fondazione Musica per Roma, the exhibition was organized by the Embassy of Italy in Lebanon and the Italian Cultural Institute.
From 18 September to 12 October, the exhibition showcased more than one hundred recent Italian practices in urban regeneration, turning a cultural showcase into a working platform to share replicable tools—policy frameworks, governance arrangements, financing solutions and design approaches. At a pivotal moment for Lebanon, with reconstruction and the role of public space central to the national debate, Italy mobilised the Sistema Italia: the Embassy, AICS, the Italian Cultural Institute, the Italian Trade Agency, and public/private partners; to foster concrete, results-oriented dialogue.
A public programme at Cinema Royal complemented the displays and drew strong participation from institutions, civil society, academia, professionals and businesses. 
On 23 September, RIGENERA – Resilience in Action explored how architecture and urban design contribute to social cohesion, sharing built examples and practical takeaways.
On 29 September, PRINCIPIA – From EXPO 2015 to MIND presented the conversion of the EXPO Milano 2015 site into MIND – Milano Innovation District through phased development and public–private collaboration. 
On 30 September, the From the Community Up roundtable discussed civic-led regeneration and tactical interventions to improve public space, neighbourhood mobility and local services with proposals relevant to Beirut. 
Finally, on 7 October, the presentation of “Requalification of the Old Mar Mikhail Train Station”, an Italian Cooperation initiative implemented with UN-Habitat and UNESCO, in cooperation with the Directorate General of Antiquities (Ministry of Culture) and the Directorate General of Railways (Ministry of Public Works & Transport), outlined the project’s objectives, phases and envisioned future uses of the site as a civic asset.
Taken together, the exhibition and its programme confirmed that urban regeneration is inherently a political issue as well as a technical one: returning spaces to communities, ensuring access and quality of life, enabling local economies and building coalitions able to care for places over time. In the framework of the national debate on reconstruction, Italy will continue to support this effort with resources - in recent months it has mobilised approximately €50 million for initiatives linked to the crisis in affected areas - and with workable models adaptable to Lebanon’s context.

Press Office
Italian Embassy