Post Disaster Rooftops: Taranto's Old Town Roofs as Alternative Urban Spaces

Post Disaster, a multidisciplinary collective of two architects and two designers—Grazia Mappa, Gabriele Leo, Gabriella Mastrangelo, and Peppe Frisino—based in Taranto, Matera, and Milan, has been activating rooftops in Taranto's Old Town since 2017. Their initiative, Post Disaster Rooftops (PDR), began with an accidental gathering on a high roof, leading to a series of events called 'Episodi' that include readings, open conversations, sound performances, and spatial installations. The collective aims to decentralize knowledge production from culturally advantaged urban centers to marginalized territories like Taranto, a city marked by the Ilva steel plant crisis and environmental issues. They view rooftops as unconventional public spaces free from hegemonic urban dynamics. PDR has involved collaborations with curator Roberta Mansueto and others. The Old Town, where 80% of buildings are abandoned, is subject to a recovery plan including social housing by Milan-based Kcity and local architects, partly inspired by the #OpenTaranto competition won by Mate Società Cooperativa in 2017. Taranto was also named host of the Mediterranean Games. The collective's work challenges industrial narratives and explores alternative futures post-disaster.