REBUILD ID: Rebuilding urban identity through culture in satellite cities

How might we leverage local cultural assets to co-design new urban narratives that reflect modern diversity and restore the civic attractiveness of satellite cities?

Challenge

The city of Cinisello Balsamo, like other European cities, is facing increasing social fragmentation, driven by a combination of factors such as demographic change, mobility, migration flows, and evolving urban dynamics.

This is a recurrent issue especially  in small or medium-sized cities located near large metropolitan areas or urban centres, where strong commuting patterns, cultural diversity and population turnover can weaken local ties. 

Across these cities, common trends are emerging: 

•    a weakening sense of belonging, 
•    reduced social interaction, 
•    growing loneliness, 
•    loss of attractiveness of the city

As a result, many urban areas risk losing their social cohesion and become spaces where different groups coexist without meaningful interaction. In this context, the key challenge is not only spatial or economic, but deeply cultural and social: how to rebuild connections, strengthen a shared sense of belonging, and create attractive,  inclusive urban identities in diverse and changing communities.

Who we are

Cinisello Balsamo is a medium-sized city within the metropolitan area of Milan (Italy), shaped by strong commuting patterns and significant recent transformations. Many residents use the city primarily as a residential base while working in Milan, while the decline of long-term residents and the arrival of newcomers from diverse backgrounds are reshaping local communities. In several neighbourhoods, this has led to fragmented “melting pots” with a limited sense of belonging and mutual recognition.

Our idea

REBUILD ID aims to address this challenge by exploring and testing culture-driven approaches as a lever for urban transformation. The idea is working on identity, belonging and local attractiveness through culture-driven actions, particularly in contexts facing social fragmentation and demographic change. The project builds on previous experience developed by the Municipality of Cinisello Balsamo through the “U.R. Impact” Network (URBACT IV APN), which defined a set of indicators for social impact. This work has shown how the cultural dimension can play a decisive role in generating social impact, strengthening cohesion, participation and sense of belonging, and can therefore be mobilised as a strategic driver for local action.

In this perspective, local cultural assets represent a starting point for experimentation. In Cinisello Balsamo, for instance, the National Museum of Photography (MUNAF) provides a concrete opportunity to activate community-based processes aimed at rebuilding a shared sense of belonging and redefining the city’s identity. Through participatory practices, photography can be used not only to document urban and demographic transformations, but also to co-create new narratives shaped by current residents, contributing to the regeneration of a more cohesive and recognizable social fabric. 

This example illustrates a possible approach that can be adapted in other urban contexts starting from their own cultural assets. Through participatory co-design with citizens, partner cities will implement concrete actions, such as public art and participatory cultural programs, that leverage local cultural assets to strengthen urban identity and a shared sense of belonging. These initiatives aim to craft new urban narratives that reflect urban complexity while prioritizing the engagement of both long-term residents and newcomers. The partners will use light monitoring tools to measure the impact of these cultural practices on social cohesion and participation.

We are looking for partners

We are looking for cities that share similar challenges: cities located in proximity to a large urban centre, experiencing commuting dynamics and demographic changes, and interested in working on identity, belonging and local attractiveness.

Potential partners should be willing to test concrete actions and ideally have at least one cultural asset (such as a museum, cultural centre, festival or creative hub) that can be activated as part of the local experimentation.

We are currently building the partnership. Would your city like to explore how culture can strengthen identity and co-design new urban narratives? Let’s work on it together!

More info? 

European Projects Department, Municipality of Cinisello Balsamo (Milan, Italy)

• Head of the Dept.  Massimo Capano  massimo.capano@comune.cinisello-balsamo.mi.it  

• Project officer Marica Gagliardi marica.gagliardi@comune.cinisello-balsamo.mi.it