Italian Architects Demand Law for Architecture at National Congress

At the National Congress of Architects in Rome, over 6,000 Italian architects, planners, landscape architects, and conservators called for a Law for Architecture. Minister Alberto Bonisoli, however, stated that such a law is not currently in his ministry's agenda, proposing instead guidelines as a first step. Congress President Giuseppe Cappochin argued that guidelines are complementary, not an alternative, to legislation. The Congress also highlighted issues like inadequate urban planning tools, oppressive land rent, a stagnant real estate market, and alarming soil consumption data from ISPRA, particularly in the Monti Sibillini Park within the central Italy seismic crater. Cappochin criticized the recent earthquake decree as a mere palliative, urging a framework law for post-disaster reconstruction. He noted a shift in public perception, with 80% of IULM survey respondents viewing architects positively as social agents. To stem the brain drain of young architects abroad, the Congress demands that public project assignments be based on open two-stage design competitions rather than firm turnover.