Erica Cantaluppi is a PhD candidate in Urban Planning, Design and Policy at the Department of Architecture and Urban Studies (DAStU), Politecnico di Milano. Born in Como, she holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Architecture – Built Environment – Interiors from Politecnico di Milano. She previously held a research grant within an interdepartmental project on innovative learning environments, where she worked on the development of augmented reality prototypes and 3D digital representations for educational content delivery.

Her doctoral research, funded by Italy’s Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR), investigates the relationship between cultural heritage and landscape education from a European perspective, with a focus on inclusive and participatory methodologies for the recognition, interpretation, and representation of cultural values. In particular, she explores educational approaches that promote active citizenship, intercultural and intergenerational exchange, and participatory processes for the protection of the common good. Her work also addresses the development of innovative and accessible narratives related to both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. As part of this research, she completed an internship at the Centro per i Servizi Educativi (SED) of the Italian Ministry of Culture, responsible for promoting cultural heritage education and coordinator of educational services across public cultural institutions.

Although her academic background was not initially focused on heritage sciences, she has always been deeply interested in issues of identity values, the multiple meanings of heritage, and its role in relation to the landscape. Her training as an architect has shaped a strong interdisciplinary attitude, valuable in working with diverse experts and professionals from institutions, academia, and schools.

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