The project addresses the issues of fragility and anti-fragility along the coastline, a continuous space that characterises the physical environment of our peninsula and the Mediterranean, serving as a crucial location for ecological and social transition. In the transitional zone between sea and land, the interaction between anthropogenic and climatic pressures exacerbates the conflicts among the phenomena of abandonment, demands for economic development, and those pertaining to environmental sustainability. 

The various vulnerabilities and opportunities for work identified by the project are situated in those most vulnerable coastal areas where land and sea interface, which are under pressure from human activity, the effects of climate change, and abandonment phenomena. 

A significant portion of the 8,300 km of the Italian coastline is occupied by artificial structures such as ports, marinas, hydraulic works of industrial facilities, artificial structures supporting bathing, and coastal defence works (both offshore and onshore). The gradual transformation of the coastline occurs through three main actions: addition (land reclamation, defence and mitigation barriers, breakwaters, beach nourishment); subtraction (demolition and restoration of natural ground, dredging); and substitution (demolition-reconstruction and/or re-functioning of disused coastal volumes). 

These three actions could always be linked within the concept of circularity—both within large transformation projects (ports, marinas) and for smaller localised interventions (breakwaters, barriers)—thus reducing vulnerabilities. 

The project has three main objectives: to build an archive of references and relevant case studies, gathering both national and international experiences; to consolidate a specialised and multidisciplinary network of both academic and non-academic entities, as well as public bodies, with whom to establish dialogue and construct possible implementations of the project; and to organise an event (seminar/workshop) shared with the reference network and disseminate its findings.