Elizabeth Fain LaBombard

Elizabeth Fain LaBombard

Prince Charitable Trusts Rome Prize
September 6, 2013–August 1, 2014
Profession
Associate, James Corner Field Operations, New York
Project title
Living on the Edge: Rethinking Landscape on the Periphery of Rome
Project description

The periphery of Rome is arguably the most dynamic area in the city. It has been the fastest changing part of the Roman landscape since World War II and continues to redefine itself as the new frontier. This edge, within the Agro Romano, is neither urban nor rural. It is a marginalized landscape where urban development, agricultural land, and forest exist in a tenuous relationship. Subject to changing political administrations, fluctuating population levels, and the expansion and contraction of the economy, it is a battered yet compelling place in need of vision. My analysis will quantify the impact of the push and pull forces between the center and the periphery, revealing the urbanization processes shaping the city’s expanding edge and the types of waste landscapes they create. I will then find ways to regenerate and reprogram these spaces, taking into consideration this environment’s ecological richness, social disparity, and economic opportunity.