A two-day intensive course, totalling 16 hours, saw Andrea Mati as lecturer for the third consecutive year of the first-ever Master’s in Therapeutic Horticulture held by the University of Bologna Alma Mater Studiorum, focusing on the basic principles and guidelines for the design of therapeutic green spaces.
Consolidated experience in creating rehabilitative communities for people suffering from addiction, design for other types of users, universal design, as well as projects for the employment of disadvantaged individuals through working with greenery.
An opportunity for the large group of participants – architects, agronomists, researchers – to learn about national and international projects, reflect on the current state of research into therapeutic green spaces in Italy and, finally, further refine the multifaceted role of the horticultural therapist.
A final section was dedicated to an in-depth exploration of plants and their therapeutic benefits, with examples of possible arrangements.