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Cover photo WE Z Rome

District III of Rome – Montesacro

We-Z - emotional WEllbeing of generation Z: reconnecting communities and spaces through imperfect health

EUI Call for Proposals in support to the New European Bauhaus demonstrators

Ongoing

We-Z is testing a transitional model of urban regeneration to improve mental health in young people. Actions focus on Vigne Nuove, a 1970s public housing complex in District III on the north-eastern periphery of Rome. The development was never completed, and is now characterised by a sense of neglect and isolation. This project was set up to experiment a ‘de-medicalised’ approach to urban regeneration, activating collective imaginations and co-creation activities, building affective bonds between people and places. 

Our main challenges...

  • Tackling mental health challenges in younger generations. The number of adolescent children with neuropsychiatric disorders in the area rose by 7% from 2021 to 2022.

  • Disrepair and a sense of neglect in Vigne Nuove, an unfinished social housing complex in Rome’s District III. 

  • Complex social challenges and lack of opportunities for residents to engage in local socio-cultural and economic activities.

and proposed solutions

  • Launching a Living Lab in Vigne Nuove to advance mental-urban research and experimentation. The lab functions as an informal bridge between We-Z participants, citizens and institutions, and the regeneration taking place in the Vigne Nuove complex. 

  • Building a new urban imaginary that stems from the rediscovery of local peoples’ archives and stories. Collecting and activating hidden memories, the project provides forms of urban narratives that foster citizens' sense of esteem and pride.

  • Introducing a holistic, inclusive co-design process, promoting a sense of wellbeing and agency. An open construction site allows young people to build with others, including nature-based solutions using natural elements (trees, plants, water, soil). 

Key figures

205 832
inhabitants living in District III, a neighbourhood on the north-eastern periphery of Rome
1 600
adolescent children with neuropsychiatric disorders in District III, after an increase of 7% from 2021 to 2022
3 330
residents in the Vigne Nuove complex, a densely populated area of 8 hectares in District III

Milestones

Vigne Nuove Living Lab opens
Aug 2024
Healing Community is launched
Feb 2025
Memory Hub opens
Feb 2025
Action Plans published
Aug 2025
1. Vigne Nuove Living Lab opens
01 Aug 2024

Opening of Vigne Nuove Living Lab infrastructure for the co-creation of common spaces

2. Healing Community is launched
01 Feb 2025

A new creative community of young people with socio-mental health conditions

3. Memory Hub opens
01 Feb 2025

A multi-purpose museum with documents on local architectural history, and We-Z project activities

4. Action Plans published
01 Aug 2025

Created in partnership with local people, We-Z Park Action Plans define the park’s co-construction