Rimini - Dancing to the Future

The competition brief challenged students to address urban development issues in the context of climate change, mass tourism, traffic, and energy through spatial solutions. Participants were tasked with reimagining the future of Rimini across multiple scales (1:10,000, 1:1,000, and 1:100), seeking holistic strategies for a city whose historical centre has been physically disconnected from the coast due to accumulated sediment and expanding tourist infrastructure. A key focus was restructuring the coastal strip to mitigate climate effects, enhance biodiversity, democratize access to space, and strengthen the city’s green system. The project Rimini - Dancing to the Future has received the 1st prize in the international student competition.
The project reimagines Rimini through the poetic lens of Fellini’s Amarcord, using his nostalgic vision to inspire a modern, community-oriented city. The project questions the city’s centralised structure and proposes a network of “15-minute neighbourhoods,” each with its own administrative, service, and public functions. These centres are connected through pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly streets, supported by an efficient public transport
system. Barriers such as roads, railways, and rivers are overcome through urban design that prioritises social connection and environmental health. Green corridors reduce heat islands, and natural resources like sun and water are harnessed to create more self-sufficient, resilient communities. Public space is treated like a stage—designed to inspire life, dreams, and collective memory. As Fellini said, “Living a dream is like making a movie, “ so the project turns Rimini into a cinematic city of dreams.