U+d Urbanform and Design N. 07/08 2017

The publication of this issue of U+D marks an important milestone in its history. From now on, a print edition will be produced as well as the usual online version, printed by the prestigious publishing house L’ Erma di Bretschneider. Our goals, style and timing will not change, however the print edition provides an opportunity to reflect on the focus of our interests, as we open up to a new audience, and creates the right circumstances for an update. We still believe that studying historic cities is still a matter of relevance to today’ s world (as ever), a topic to which we have dedicated, either directly or indirectly, many articles and papers. Moreover, we have gained a great deal of experience in how to do this, experience that has matured over time. We need to cultivate these interests given the ethical and didactic value that we recognize in the built environment we have inherited: a place of human unity and mutual support, the repository of organic characteristics where we learn and teach our language.