Living with Industry Context-Sensitive Regeneration of Active Industrial Neighborhoods: A Comparative Study of Turin and Luleå

Industrial neighborhoods often experience spatial, social, and ecological isolation in many cities. This thesis question is whether regenerative strategies can be transferred between different contexts or must be adapted to their specific spatial and social conditions. To answer this question, we selected two active industrial neighborhoods in two contrasting morphological environments: • Vanchiglietta in Turin, located within a continuous and compact urban fabric • Ytterviken in Luleå, located within a dispersed, polycentric urban structure We tried to understand the challenges that the areas are facing through spatial analysis, functional mapping, interpretation of user behavior, and contextual research. At the end we identified three shared challenges across both sites: _Spatial Disconnection (Isolation) _Social Fragmentation _Fragmented Green Networks However, while the challenges are the same, the causes are different: In Vanchiglietta (Turin), spatial isolation emerges from physical barriers such as the Dora River, the cemetery wall, and poorly connected parks inside the area. In Ytterviken (Luleå), isolation is shaped primarily by large-scale distances, polycentricity, and infrastructural edges—including the highway and surrounding forest—that separate the area from other districts. The same applies to social fragmentation and fragmented green networks, which emerged due to each city’s distinct user profiles, land-use patterns, and ecological structures. These observations demonstrate that even when industrial areas share similar problems, their underlying reasons are different, and therefore the regenerative strategies for designing them cannot be universal, Instead, they must be context-sensitive, according to the morphology, scale, and social dynamics of each location and different urban contexts need different strategies. Ultimately, the thesis argues that context-sensitive regeneration enables active industrial areas to become more spatially integrated, socially vibrant, and ecologically connected, contributing to healthier and more resilient urban environments.