Research Interests
Leonardo Ramondetti, architect, Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Development from Politecnico di Torino and Università di Torino, Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning (DIST). His field of research is contemporary urban design theories and planning cultures, with particular focus on the processes of urbanisation and infrastructurisation in different global contexts. He is the coordinator of the research activities at the China Room research group (Politecnico di Torino). Between 2015 and 2019 he participated in the research ‘CeNTO – Chinese New Towns: Negotiating Citizenship and Physical Form’, carried out by Politecnico di Torino, Tsinghua University of Beijing, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale of Lausanne, which led to the publication of The City after Chinese New Towns: Spaces and Imaginaries from Contemporary Urban China (Birkhäuser, 2019). As a postdoctoral scholar, he is currently working at the research project of national relevance (PRIN) ‘Rescaling the Belt and Road Initiative: urbanization processes, innovation patterns and global investments in urban China’ (2020-2023) carried out by Politecnico di Torino and Università di Macerata. He is the author of the book The Enriched Field: Urbanising the Central Plains of China (Birkhäuser, 2022).
Education
Current position: Post-Doc Researcher at Politecnico di Torino – Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning and Adjunct Professor at Università di Bologna – Department of Architecture
Coordinator of the research activities at the China Room research group (Politecnico di Torino).
Main Research project: Rescaling the Belt and Road Initiative: urbanization processes, innovation patterns and global investments in urban China (2020-2023)
Grant: Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research – Research Project of National Relevance (PRIN)
2020 | Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Development at Politecnico di Torino and Università di Torino, Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning
Title of the dissertation: The Enriched Field. Urbanising the Central Plains of China
2014 | Master Degree in Architecture at Politecnico di Torino, First Faculty of Architecture, program ‘Architettura Costruzione Città’
Main Publications
Books:
Ramondetti L. 2022. The Enriched Field: Urbanising the Central Plains of China. Basel: Birkhäuser.
Berta M., Bruno E., Ramondetti L. 2023. Prosperous Lishui: A project for suburban China. ORO editions.
Peer Reviewed Articles
Ramondetti, L. 2023. “Plans and projects for the Central Plains of China: New forms of extended urbanisation in Zhengzhou metropolitan region”. Transactions in Planning and Urban Research, Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/27541223231151442
Safina, A., Ramondetti, L., Governa, F. 2023. Rescaling the Belt and Road Initiative in urban China: the local complexities of a global project. Area Development and Policy, Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/23792949.2023.2174888
Ramondetti L. 2021. “Yanming Lake Town, Henan: Il potenziamento dello spazio rurale nella Cina contemporanea [Yanming Lake Town, Henan. Empowering rural areas in contemporary China]”. Contesti. Città, territori, progetti, 2(2), pp. 115-128.
Ramondetti L., Safina A., Bruno E. 2021. “Prosperous Lishui: Ripensare il rapporto tra urbano e rurale nella Cina contemporanea [Prosperous Lishui. Envisioning new relations between urban and rural areas in contemporary China]”. Territorio, 98, pp. 110-122.
Ramondetti L. 2019. “La città asiatica del XXI secolo attraverso tre progetti di Arata Isozaki [The Asian city of the 21st century through three projects by Arata Isozaki]”. Territorio, 90, pp. 7-20.
Ramondetti L. 2018. “Zhengzhou: Il potenziamento della metropoli interna [Zhengdong. Empowering the inland metropolis]”. Territorio, 85, pp. 51-56.
Book Chapters
Ramondetti L. 2019. “Zhengdong: Empowering the Inland Metropolis”. In Bonino M. et al. (eds.), The City after Chinese New Towns: Spaces and imaginaries from contemporary urban China (pp. 115–122). Basel: Birkhäuser
Ramondetti L. 2016. “Urban Interiors: Vision for a fragmented territory”. In Ognen M. & Armando A. (eds.), Inclusive/Exclusive Cities (pp. 92-102). Skopje: City of Skopje
Ramondetti L. 2015. “Chelas, Lisboa: The modern heritage in time of crisis”. In Ognen M. & Armando A. (eds.), Projects for an Inclusive City: Social integration through urban growth strategies (pp. 104-113). Skopje: City of Skopje.
Teaching Activities
AY 2022/2023 – Corse ‘Sustainible Features of the Urban Systems’ in the Structuring the City by Desing Lab I.C. at Università di Bologna, Department of Architecture
Between 2014 and 2023 he has been teaching assistent in urban planning and design in several courses at Politecnico di Torino, where he has the opportunity to work with international designers such as Prof. Gong Dong – Vector Architects.
Together with Prof. Angelo Sampieri, he supervise a series of theses on ‘Living and designing the contemporary agrarian landscape’; and he took part in the master thesis laboratory ‘Prosperous Lishui: A project for suburban China’ (2021-2022) coordinated by Prof.s Michele Bonino and Angelo Sampieri.
