Knowledge Sharing & Public Learning
Coltiviamo il Futuro.
ENVIRONMENT & COMMUNITY · PUBLIC SPACES & PARTICIPATION
Bringing community and nature back into School courtyards.
Coltiviamo il Futuro is a civic participation project transforming public school courtyards in Turin into urban climate shelters and neighbourhood third places: green, sustainable, inclusive spaces open to the public beyond school hours.
Born from the collaboration between Green Growth Generation, ITER (Turin’s Institution for Responsible Education) and the City of Turin’s Department for Education, Youth and Underserved Neighbourhoods, the project is a three-year experimentation: the time needed to test, refine and document a replicable model — from Turin to other Italian and European cities.
In an urban context where access to nature is increasingly limited — and where peripheral neighbourhoods pay the highest price during heatwaves — the project turns school courtyards into shaded areas open to the public, nodes in a growing green network across the city.
CLIMATE CATEGORY
Finalist at Future4Cities.
Coltiviamo il Futuro has been selected among the 5 finalists, out of more than 250 entries, in the Climate category of the Future4Cities Festival.
A recognition that confirms the strength of the model and its relevance to urban climate adaptation challenges.
Vote for the project and help give visibility to an initiative built for the city and its people.
What we are building
Together with our network of partners, the project will:
- Plant greenery, flowers and vegetable gardens in school courtyards
- Create shaded areas open to the public and safe, inclusive natural spaces
- Support urban biodiversity within school environments
- Develop hands-on educational experiences around caring for nature and shared spaces
- Turn every courtyard into a third place: not just a school space, but a shared asset for the whole neighbourhood
How it works
1. The school signs up — the head teacher, together with an internal staff coordinator, signs the adhesion letter and confirms their commitment to activating their school community within Coltiviamo il Futuro.
2. The community raises funds — families, teachers and local residents promote the crowdfunding campaign dedicated to their school.
3. Together, they design the space — participatory workshops to decide how to make the courtyard greener and more welcoming.
4. The courtyard becomes a third place — plants, vegetable gardens, shade, natural furniture: a space that belongs to both the school and the neighbourhood, built to last.
How to get involved — for schools
Schools in the area interested in applying can express their interest through a letter of intent, describing the current state of their courtyard and their ideas for improvement.
Application windows
As this is an ongoing, multi-year experimentation, applications open in recurring windows — allowing schools to be supported properly and spreading interventions over time.
First window: closes September 9
Interested schools can submit their letter of intent by this date.
Upcoming windows
New application windows will open in the coming months — follow our channels to stay updated on upcoming deadlines.
Resource allocation will take into account:
- Level of active involvement of the school community — teachers, families and students
- The characteristics and needs of the school’s outdoor spaces
- Geographic distribution of interventions across the city
- Consistency and quality of the proposal, in relation to other local initiatives
- Absence of significant structural or financial interventions received in recent years
The project network
Coltiviamo il Futuro is a collective initiative built on collaboration between partners with different skills, roles and resources.
Who leads the project
Green Growth Generation coordinates the project, manages fundraising, and supports schools through the co-design and community activation process.
Who provides institutional oversight
The City of Turin’s Department for Education, Youth and Peripheral Areas, together with ITER, ensure institutional supervision and coordination with Turin’s school system.
Who measures the impact
Fondazione Santagata for the Economics of Culture develops and applies the methodology to evaluate social, educational and cultural impact.
Who activates communities
The ARCI Torino network and third-sector organisations already active in peripheral neighbourhoods support the campaign and help activate school communities, children and families.
Who builds the spaces
Designers, architects, landscape architects and nursery growers turn community ideas into safe, concrete interventions.
Who supports the project
Philanthropic and Ethic banks and foundations, companies and private sponsors are invited to join the fundraising effort.
Pop Up community Events and Project milestones
Launch — Earth Day · April 25
Giardini Reali, Turin
The project was publicly presented on April 25, on Earth Day, with educational activities and workshops open to the public.
First school application window — September 9
Applications open for the first group of participating schools.
Future4Cities — Climate category finalists · September 26
OGR, Turin
Selected among 5 projects out of more than 250 entries in the festival’s Climate category.
Support the project
Coltiviamo il Futuro is made possible thanks to the contribution of individuals, families and organisations who believe in the value of green educational spaces and in giving nature back to the city’s schools.
You can choose to support the project as a whole, or direct your donation to a specific school.
Projects.
Projects are the core of our work. Through place-based urban projects, we integrate participation, research, and experimentation in real city contexts.