Held annually in July, the QUADILA Festival transforms Albugnano into a vibrant hub of theatre performances, poetry readings, hikes, and visits to Romanesque churches. The festival is organised by the local association Lo Stagno di Goethe, which became to the Polimi SMOTIES team a natural channel to access the territory and some of its most active inhabitants. The lively event attracts a diverse mix of visitors and locals: in the summer of 2024, the Polimi team seized the opportunity to gather feedback and assess the impact of the recently realised interventions in some of the public spaces of Albugnano.
To gather these insights, a postcard-themed feedback station was set up at one of the festival’s most popular spots: the old rectory. Visitors were invited to write postcards addressing future visitors, sharing their impressions of the recent changes in the area. This “postcard to the future” encouraged people to imagine how the newly renovated spaces could be used in the years to come. Alongside this, participants were also asked to provide feedback on the renovation of the main square and the informational panels installed at key locations throughout Albugnano.
Visitors engaged with the postcards more than residents. While acknowledging the occasional unsatisfied resident, most postcards provided positive feedback on the interventions. Many offered a poetic vision for Albugnano’s future, imagining it as a place that preserves its authenticity and heritage while revitalizing today’s abandoned spaces.
This Creative Tool helped to gather feedback and to hint at a collective reflection on this possible future. Through the voices of visitors and residents, the town’s identity as a place that balances tradition with renewal emerged, conveying the original spirit of SMOTIES project. This dialogue between past and future, rooted in the local community and activated by the interventions, suggests a promising path forward for Albugnano’s continued transformation.
