MAXXI Exhibition Analyzes Rome's Urban Identity Through Global Comparisons

The MAXXI museum in Rome is presenting the exhibition 'Roma nel Mondo' (Rome in the World), curated by urbanist Ricky Burdett from the London School of Economics. The show examines Rome's unique urban characteristics through data-driven analysis and comparisons with other global cities. It features three main sections: 'Roma nell'immaginario del mondo' exploring symbolic perceptions, 'Dna di Roma' using a physical model with 953 tiles to represent urban transformations, and 'Confronti globali' comparing Rome's metrics with cities like London, Paris, and Tokyo. The exhibition reveals that Rome is one of Europe's largest municipalities by area but has modest population growth projections, significant green space per capita, and complex urban challenges including transportation inefficiencies and demographic disparities between center and periphery. The presentation aims to move beyond celebratory rhetoric to offer a nuanced understanding of the Eternal City's contemporary urban reality.