RCA School of Architecture ResearchRCA SoA Research

This paper reviews Crossing Cultures, a design-by-practice research project based in Belmonte Calabro, Italy. Comprising ethnographic, action-based research, it employs both inductive and deductive approaches to develop a model for rural revitalisation through university engagement. Since 2016, the initiative has addressed Calabria’s socio-economic challenges by combining education, local involvement, and architectural practice. Students, residents, a not-for-profit organisation, and an architecture collective collaborate to respond to migration and depopulation through knowledge exchange and community resilience.

The paper proposes a governance framework based on Communities of Practice (CoPs), aiming to empower residents through peer learning and capacity-building. Drawing on nine years of work in Belmonte, as well as other self-governing initiatives, the framework consists of four stages: “Rupture,” “Activation of Place,” “Negotiations and Communities,” and “CoPs and the Government.” These stages are intended to foster local autonomy, accountability, and cultural integration.

The paper outlines how Crossing Cultures has completed the first two stages and now plans to engage public bodies and other stakeholders to advance the final two. Its focus is on community-led governance as a route towards long-term sustainable development. By empowering communities and attracting a younger, more diverse population, the initiative seeks to enhance social sustainability and create a replicable model for rural regeneration, ensuring Belmonte’s resilience and vitality for future generations.