1+1=3 is a community engagement project located in Cassina de’ Pecchi, a small town near Milan.

 

In order to overcome the sense of stagnation in the town, locals are invited to participate in a farm-making process.

 

Through a series of community gatherings where an abandoned public farm acts as a catalyst to attract locals and trigger new rural (r)evolutions, the project attempts to empower citizens to take control of their environment and stand up for their community through active participation.

 

By stimulating the discovery of forgotten (hi)stories and the renewal of ancient traditions, the project sparks a new affection for the rural environment in order to prompt a stronger sense of belonging and ownership.

 

Recognising the transformative power people can have in shaping the shared environment, the project encourages citizens to become protagonists in potential changes for the future of the town. By inspiring grassroots action on the farm, which functions as a playground for the imagination, 1+1=3 facilitates positive responses to our changing urban fabric. 

 

Ultimately through 1+1=3, bottom-up practices become crucial ingredients in developing a new proactive and cohesive community, in order to re-design a city in which everyone has a place.