Two Major Architecture Firms Aim to Revolutionize Rome Over the Next 25 Years

A multidisciplinary team led by Italian architecture and urban planning firm IT'S and Dutch firm OMA has won the international ideas competition "Vision for Rome," promoted by the Fondazione Roma REgeneration. Their project, "Roma Continua," was presented at the Auditorium della Tecnica di Confindustria during the second ROMA REgeneration FORUM. The proposal aims to rethink Rome over the next 25 years through a paradigm shift in urban, social, and cultural planning, envisioning the city as a living ecosystem. It is based on five guiding principles—care, beauty, knowledge, movement, reuse, and grafting—and includes five green corridors anchored to the Tiber River, "Fori dell'innovazione" (innovation forums), and a continuous mobility network. The project also seeks to reduce tourist pressure on the historic center by creating new cultural itineraries and sustainable transport links.

This matters because it represents a bold, long-term vision for one of the world's most historically layered cities, proposing a model that balances preservation with innovation. By integrating ecological infrastructure, cultural production, and economic development, "Roma Continua" could serve as a blueprint for other historic cities grappling with overtourism, sprawl, and sustainability. The involvement of diverse professionals—from landscape architects to cultural managers—and the explicit focus on beauty as an active civic value signal a shift toward more holistic urban regeneration strategies. The project's emphasis on public art and cultural participation, with Artribune as a collaborator, also highlights the growing role of art in shaping urban futures.