For decades, these places were left behind, silent and empty. But today, something is shifting. Public institutions and private owners are increasingly making them available, often at symbolic prices or through accessible public tenders, with the goal of bringing them back into the fabric of everyday life.

Turning emptiness into opportunity

These spaces are not just shells to fill—they are invitations to reimagine. People are transforming them into urban gardens, ecovillages, cultural hubs, alternative schools, artisan workshops, creative studios, rehearsal rooms, co-living spaces and educational centers.

The idea is not just to renovate, but to revitalize: to create something meaningful for the place, the people and the planet. It’s a real opportunity for those who dream of living differently, and who want to create positive change starting from the bottom-up.

The impact of urban regeneration

Bringing an abandoned place back to life means igniting new energy: degradation is reduced, the local economy is stimulated, a meeting point is created, and collective memory is reactivated.

Each recovered space is a wound that heals, a piece of future built from the bottom-up, a concrete gesture against social desertification and the abandonment of territories. These places do not just go back to being used: they go back to talking, to connecting, to inspiring.

How to get started?

At www.eutopia-earth.com you'll find a continually updated map of places looking for people all over Italy, selected for those looking for spaces to regenerate. On the blog, you can also read success stories of already active projects and sources of inspiration.

Finally, for those who are subscribed to the platform, open calls and concrete opportunities are published every month for those who are looking for the right place to give birth to a new project. For those who want to perform an act of love towards the territory and imagine, together, new forms of living and creating.

By Valentina Bracciodieta