Torinostratosferica Utopian Hours 2019: 4 Highlights from the Urban Festival

The third edition of Torinostratosferica Utopian Hours, Italy's first festival on best urban practices, takes place in Turin from October 18 to 20, 2019, at the Centrale della Nuvola Lavazza. Organized by the non-profit association Torino Stratosferica, founded by Luca Ballarini of the Turin-based design and communication studio Bellissimo, the festival features 50 guests and 25 talks over three days. Highlights include a unique exhibition marking the centenary of architect Paolo Soleri, born in Turin in 1919 and creator of Arcosanti in Arizona; a talk by Patrik Gustavsson, director of Copenhagen's CopenHill waste-to-energy plant with a ski slope on its roof, designed by Bjarke Ingels; a presentation by Charlie MacGregor, founder of The Student Hotel, which is expanding to Turin; and a book preview by Alfredo Brillembourg of Urban-Think Tank, winners of the Golden Lion at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2012 for their work on Torre David in Caracas. The festival discusses unconventional city growth, urban regeneration, bottom-up interventions, and city-making.