This paper presents the results of multidisciplinary research which addresses the issue of sustainability within the design of urban agricultural landscapes through the joint solution of architecture and hydro-geomorphology for the management, accessibility and use of urban agricultural landscapes. If the traditional separation between urban and productive land has now been overcome by the inclusion of agricultural areas within the cities, what is still under discussion is how to make its planning sustainable, especially in densely urbanized contexts. This research was developed with a methodology able to combine different types of data in order to satisfy needs relating to the availability of water for land supply and to make this landscape—both rural and urban—accessible to the city. Historical traces, interpretative insights, and hydro-geomorphological reading models of the territory were analysed. Their interweaving has made it possible to develop a prototype of a water and landscape infrastructure that combines a system for subsurface water, cycle–pedestrian paths and small-scale architecture features around the water tanks. The research has been tested in the city of Pozzuoli (NA) in Southern Italy, within the Monteruscello neighbourhood. The result led to a design solution of an integrated system which contributes to implementing the green transition within cities.

This study investigates the vulnerability of modernist architectural heritage and the multifaceted challenges it faces in contemporary society. The analysis focuses on the inherent difficulties of conserving these structures, considering their cultural and historical significance alongside the need for adaptation to current social, functional, and regulatory requirements. Through the lens of a key case study, the architectural legacy of the distinguished Argentine architect Miguel Ángel Roca, the research examines how digitization can address these challenges by generating multi-scale and multi-resolution models that support detailed analysis and conservation strategies. The research stems from an interdisciplinary collaboration among the National University of Córdoba in Argentina, the University of Salerno, and Federico II University of Naples in Italy. It showcases the potential of digital tools for modernist heritage conservation, providing innovative solutions for its management, enhancing community engagement, and establishing a comprehensive digital archive. This archive ensures the long-term preservation and dissemination of Roca’s work, contributing to future research and educational initiatives. By integrating digital technologies, the study addresses the technical, social, and economic challenges associated with heritage conservation. The creation of detailed digital archives offers a sustainable framework for managing modernist architecture, ensuring its adaptability to contemporary demands while preserving its historical integrity. Furthermore, this research aligns with the objectives of the journal’s special issue, Imperfect Modernism, by exploring how changing social and political conditions across different countries shape contemporary attitudes toward modern architecture. It explores weaknesses in preservation and protection practices that can affect its legacy, and the challenges and solutions inherent in its conservation, and highlights how the interdisciplinary and digital methodologies introduced set new standards for the sustainable management of architectural heritage, promoting a balance between conservation and the need for modernization in response to evolving societal needs.

The paper shows a strategic proposal for the Urban Plan of the Municipality of Padula, in the Vallo di Diano, in South Italy. In the city there is a Unesco site, the religious complex Certosa di Padula, and a widespread system of archaeological emergencies. The large size of the Unesco site, combined with the morphological difficulties of the city, puts in second light the other sites of historical, cultural and naturalistic value. The project, developed within an interdisciplinary team, deals with the need to build significant relationships between different parts of the city. The design strategy stems from an interpretation of the territory strongly linked to its geography, cultural forms and identity through an integrated approach that not only protects heritage but also promotes urban development without compromising the site’s authenticity and value.

This paper will investigate the issue of limits for the architectural and urban design of green and safe spaces within cities. While increasing green areas has great advantages in improving the quality of urban space and coping with significant climate and energy crises, it remains an open question as to how these spaces deal with long-established urban fabric and its peripheral edges, which are increasingly characterized by urban fragmentation and disconnection. Intensifying the presence of greenery in the city by increasing the density of trees and designing ecological corridors to create continuity between green spaces may lead to changes that have an impact on spaces within cities. In investigating the characteristics that determine the perception of urban safety, for example, within urban parks, the definition of the border and the presence of gates are considered crucial factors. Even if traditionally the urban green park is enclosed, in many cities there are parks that do not have margins, staying open and accessible all day long and turning out to be safe spaces for citizens. Thus, the boundary and its definition are still an issue to be explored in the design of green spaces and in the determination of their urban safety. The topic is addressed through a discussion about the meaning of the word boundary and through an analysis of case studies of green space design projects, such as gardens and urban parks, where boundaries are observed as a category of space with different features that help define the character of the park and its relationship to the city.

The COST-Action (CA 18137) on Middle Class Mass Housing in Europe (MCMH-EU) has established a transnational scientific network to document the productions of middle-class mass housing built in Europe since the 1950s in order to investigate this specific topic and share knowledge. Considering that middle-class mass housing dominates most of our cities, the research translates into the study of the extensive development of cities in Europe after World War II. The breadth of the theme and the differences between the countries make it difficult to construct a systematic and unified criticism of middle-class mass housing, albeit concentrating on the post-war period. The COST-Action has the goal to build a network to gather research representing the pooled knowledge and experiences from the network of multidisciplinary researchers. So, transversally throughout the Working Groups, an inventory of case studies, a collection of articles, and studies on the policies were produced. This paper elaborates on the collected and produced material and data in order to trigger comparisons and reflections on the approaches and methodologies to face the complexity of middle-class mass housing topic. The comparison was built by using different methods intersecting multiple points of view and following specific thematic tracks that seek to deconstruct the complexity of the middle-class mass housing topic into singular aspects. This paper presents the results of data analyses, visualisation techniques and comparative studies to identify massification processes, morphological structures, demographic and policy developments. It shows a combination of several methods to build a cross-sectional and systematic approach to the diverse knowledge envisioned to develop a methodology for future research. This can be especially useful for future developments and insights towards joint or individual European guidelines, laws and policies to improve the dilapidated housing stock, current housing situation and to compete the housing crisis in general.