USI's Laboratorio di Storia delle Alpi (LabiSAlp) among the founders of Swiss ARC

Four institutes from four Alpine cantons, including Laboratorio di Storia delle Alpi (LabiSAlp) of Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), have come together to form Swiss ARC (Swiss Alpine Research Collaboration) with the aim of steering public debate and politics. "Il Quotidiano" (RSI) interviewed Prof. Luigi Lorenzetti, Adjunct Professor at the USI Academy of Architecture and LabiSAlp Coordinator, to explore the topic.

The other three institutes involved in the project belong to the Universities of Lucerne and Lausanne and the Cultural Centre of Chur.
Today, the Alpine Arc is rich in infrastructure - Alpine passes, dams, and railways - but is poor in population. "Phenomena that we currently view as negative were, forty or fifty years ago, signs of modernity and prosperity. Nevertheless, they reflect development models that are no longer sustainable and have significant environmental consequences," explained Professor Luigi Lorenzetti.

The importance of preserving Alpine environments became particularly evident following the natural disasters that hit Ticino last year. "We want to express our voice, perspective, assessments, and understanding of the issues presented", explained the LabiSAlp Coordinator.

"Current assessments of the Alps' future are sometimes based on stereotypes and unscientific visions," concluded Professor Lorenzetti, clarifying the reasons for the importance of the newly formed alliance.