Stefano Cozzolino is a Senior Researcher at the ILS (Dortmund) and a Lecturer at RWTH Aachen University, where he teaches in the international Master’s Program Transforming City Regions.  This month we got together to discuss urban beauty. 

General Background:

Stefano Cozzolino is a Senior Researcher at the ILS (Dortmund) and a Lecturer at RWTH Aachen University, where he teaches in the international Master’s Program Transforming City Regions. Born in Bergamo, Italy, he earned his PhD in Urban Planning Design and Policy at the Polytechnic University of Milan. He has gained international experience, having lived and studied in Bristol, conducted research visits in New York City, and collaborated with the University of Groningen and Tel Aviv University. He is the coordinator of the AESOP thematic group on “Ethics, Values, and Planning”.

What are you passionate about?

Like the vast majority of PLPR’s friends, I am passionate about cities, their social potential, and the way people transform, interact with, and influence urban areas and their development. I am interested in general topics such as freedom and pluralism and fascinated by the complex interplay between planning/design and the spontaneous configurations that continuously emerge. I see cities and dense urban contexts as spaces for action and interaction. This perspective shapes all of my work, where I aim to understand urban dynamics and assess whether plans and designs can foster and embrace vibrant city life.

I have an architectural background that has shifted toward more “urban” questions and challenges. So far, I believe my greatest contributions to the field lie in a new understanding of urban beauty—one that highlights the importance of social aspects—and a broader recognition of the conditions for long-term adaptability of urban areas, such as neighborhoods. (I was recently invited to give a TED talk on this topic.) While I enjoy focusing on the appearances, design, and forms of the built environment, my true interest lies in often-overlooked background conditions such as property configurations, building and planning regulations, and the contextual space for change and innovation. These ideas and others are explored in my recently published book “Action, Property, Beauty: Planning With and For Emergent Urban Complexity” co-authored with Stefano Moroni.

Beyond my professional interests, I am passionate about outdoor sports, particularly open-water long-distance swimming (I swim wherever I can, from city canals to lakes and the sea) and race cycling. I also enjoy reading and keeping up with studies and debates in psychology, particularly in the areas of education and the development of teenagers/young adults, as well as contemporary challenges they face.

My favorite cities (so far) are Naples and New York, though many others have stolen my heart—the list is far too long to include here.

What are you working on these days?

There are many ongoing projects at the moment. Below, I have selected the three most relevant.

At various levels, through the organization of conferences and teaching activities, I am working on how to approach large-scale master plans in a way that embraces long-term adaptability, incremental change, flexibility and social expression. I tackle this issue from both an urban design and planning perspective. The challenge is that while many acknowledge the importance of creating “open-ended” designs, our society (including planners, politicians, and market operators) tends to resist uncertainty and complexity. How can we improve current practices?

For ICLEI, we are conducting a project called CATCH4D, which focuses on climate adaptation through thermographic scanning. It is a large project, and my contribution focuses on the energy renovation challenges in highly dense and relatively poor urban areas characterized by significant property fragmentation. We are working closely with building owners (most of whom are private individuals) and a local municipality to understand the major issues preventing private action and investment. This is an urgent issue, and working directly with building owners has been both illuminating and essential in effectively addressing this important challenge.

For the Ministry of Housing in North Rhine-Westphalia, together with a team from my research institute, we are analyzing contemporary trends and actions in the regeneration of large housing estates neighborhoods built in the 1960s and 70s. These areas provide substantial housing supply but come with several deficiencies—most notably, their inability to self-regenerate over time and to foster social interaction and expression. What innovations are needed? It is a challenging topic, but highly fascinating.

In addition to these projects, I am working on various publications and new grant applications.

What brings you to PLPR?

My connection with PLPR began almost ten years ago when, as a PhD student, I was working on a paper co-authored with Edwin Buitelaar and Stefano Moroni on “Simple Rules for Complex Urban Problems.” I quickly realized that my connection with PLPR and active participation in its events were fundamental to expanding my knowledge of key institutional issues. The variety of interests and backgrounds among participants, combined with their high level of expertise, is what continues to draw me to PLPR.

Among the various influential figures, I have to admit that several years ago, Rachelle Alterman’s work on condominium neighborhoods sparked my curiosity. Since becoming part of this network, I have consistently recommended membership to my students and young colleagues.

Anecdote: things we don’t know about you?

The first time I went to New York in 2015, the very first thing I did just a few minutes after landing was visit Jane Jacobs’ famous apartment at 555 Hudson Street. Without hesitation, I rang the front doorbell and asked the current resident if I could see the apartment. Obviously, he didn’t know who Jane Jacobs was. A few years later, I had the chance to meet and socialize with Jane’s son, Ned. Without a doubt, Jane Jacobs is the author who changed my life. I can proudly say that I’ve read all her books at least once.