Ivrea: Community Development, active participation and communication of UNESCO values

As part of the activities carried out for the development of the 2025-2030 Management Plan of the World Heritage site “Ivrea, Industrial City of the 20th Century”, Fondazione Santagata was commissioned to develop the activities related to the project “Community Development, active participation, and communication of UNESCO values”, with the contribution of the Ministry of Culture pursuant to Law 77/2006.

In Ivrea, Fondazione Santagata also managed the Updating of the Management Plan for the UNESCO site “Ivrea, Industrial City of the 20th Century”, along with the simultaneous Community Development initiatives.

The work carried out, aimed at coordinating activities, monitoring, and collecting project data as a whole, resulted in the final production of a report.

The document gathers the Community Development practices implemented as part of the update of the Management Plan of the World Heritage Site of Ivrea (2025-2030), ranging from activities with local schools (the 2023 and 2025 Hackathons) to the Olivetti Lab Call for Ideas, and other initiatives developed by the Municipality of Ivrea. These initiatives involved institutional stakeholders, citizens, and the scientific and professional communities, with the goal of fostering community participation and collaboration.

Furthermore, the document proposes a monitoring system for community development activities, accompanied by an implementation roadmap. This system is designed to support and evaluate the actions planned by the 2025–2030 Management Plan over time, consolidating a participatory approach to the management of the Site. This is particularly relevant in the context of Ivrea, where the concept of community holds a special meaning. Indeed, it recalls the system of values linked to the Olivetti experience and the vision of Adriano Olivetti, which deeply influenced the urban, social, and cultural development of the city. Building a conscious and active community in heritage management thus stands in continuity with this tradition, updating its principles in light of contemporary challenges.

The expected results of this work include strengthening the active participation of stakeholders and the local community in the management processes of the World Heritage Site of Ivrea, building a shared vision for its future development, and activating stable collaborations among institutional, cultural, social, and scientific actors.

Additionally, the implementation of a structured monitoring system for community development activities is expected, which will also serve to guide and evaluate the actions outlined in the 2025–2030 Management Plan.

The impact of the work translates into the consolidation of a participatory governance model for the Site and greater coherence between local projects and strategic conservation and enhancement objectives. In the medium-to-long term, this approach contributes to strengthening the cohesion between community and heritage, increasing the sustainability of management policies and the Site’s capacity to adapt to future challenges.