Marina Engel's '12 Sogni di Roma' Explores the City Beyond Overtourism

Marina Engel's book '12 Sogni di Roma. Esplorando la città del possibile' (Castelvecchi, 140 pages) offers a tour of Rome's suburbs, from Quarticciolo to Trastevere, focusing on grassroots urban regeneration projects. The book is divided into three sections: youth initiatives, sport and culture, and urban landscape interventions. It features interviews with protagonists of twelve diverse experiences, including Quarticciolo ribelle (a popular boxing gym), Fondazione Piccolo America (a cinema turned study hub), Scomodo (a magazine by under-30s), Cubolibro (a library in Tor Bella Monaca), Post Ex (an artist-run space in Centocelle), Calciosociale at Campo dei Miracoli in Corviale, and the Ex Snia lake park at Prenestino. The preface is by urbanist Carlo Cellamare, who describes Rome as a 'città fai-da-te' (do-it-yourself city). The afterword is by geologist and TV anchor Mario Tozzi, who praises Engel's optimistic, Anglo-Saxon-style chronicle that counters prejudices about the suburbs. Engel highlights ordinary citizens who demonstrate that an alternative vision of the city is possible, away from the easy money of B&Bs and tourist traps that have disfigured the historic center. The book presents Rome not as a backdrop for selfies but as a living, dynamic space imagining a sustainable future.