Department of Visual Arts / University of California, San Diego

Cool City Naples:

The reinvention of urban spaces toward an organic and natural metropolis

Lecture by Alexander Valentino

Urban spaces in Naples are strongly characterized by the abundance of various natural elements that have defined and supported the life of its inhabitants. This balanced relationship between humans and nature remained almost unchanged for millennia. But strong urbanization of the last few hundred years, nature, and the water of Naples have given way to cement and other artificial materials, through modernization and developments, like so many other cities. As the result, the nature of Naples is relegated, confined, and hidden. This lecture will be about Naples’ attempt to return to symbiosis with its nature that has historically defined its culture and urban heritage.