BACK TO THE FUTURE...: Revealing Neighbourhood Memory and Urban Transformations

Retour vers le futur is Dédale’s programme dedicated to revealing the memory, heritage and transformations of neighbourhoods through participatory storytelling, cultural mediation and digital tools. Developed through the Rosa Lab Living Lab, the initiative invites residents, schools, associations and local actors to explore the past, present and future of their territory through workshops, urban walks, archives, oral histories, sound recordings, rephotography, mapping and exhibitions.

The programme focuses on neighbourhoods undergoing major urban, social and environmental transformations, particularly in peripheral metropolitan areas often overlooked in dominant urban narratives. By collecting memories, revealing hidden stories and connecting them to current changes, Retour vers le futur strengthens local identity, sense of belonging and intergenerational transmission.

Through participatory heritage practices, urban storytelling and place- based cultural activities, the project turns local memory into a resource for civic engagement, territorial attractiveness and collective imagination.

Rooted in real-life experimentation, Retour vers le futur develops replicable formats for inclusive cultural participation and contributes to the New European Bauhaus vision by connecting heritage, social inclusion, aesthetics and sustainable urban transformation.