Participatory planning in Palermo for social innovation and technologic enhancement. A living Lab territorial game toward city plan

The approach that is offered by Living Labs, particularly for their territorial perspective, can represent one of the ways in which to set the transition from the stage of a “free game”, about scenarios and visions, to the definition of the plan social demand, specifically within the framework of a real experience of the citizenship life. In this sense, such an approach may represent the guarantee of an effectiveness of the plan. Despite the limits, which the previous failures represent, we can remark that through the dimension of openness, roles co-presence and competence of those stakeholders that are involved in Living Labs, the participation processes – from the perspective of a planning – does not end but continuously tend to a gradual improvement, both of the quality of the projects and of those cohesion factors, which lead to the constitution of spontaneous partnerships

Regional Partnerships for Living Labs: the Case of Sicily and the MedLab Project

Abstract: This paper addresses the issue of how the Living Lab model can be integrated into regional development policy, through a “demand-pull” approach to innovation in which institutional innovation plays a key role in the form of bottom-up partnerships between a range of actors. The MedLab project, funded by the ERDF in the MED programme, addresses this issue with eight partners in seven Mediterranean regions. The paper first discusses the case of a concrete experience in building a regional Living Lab partnership in the Sicilian region and how the lessons learned shaped the MedLab approach and workplan. The first activities in MedLab are then presented as a more structured attempt at laying the ground for stable Living Lab governance mechanisms that will be tested in the project’s pilot projects. The ultimate aim is to permanently integrate the Living Lab approach as a transversal instrument of regional innovation policies in the Mediterranean basin, as a model for other regions in Europe

Per una ricapitalizzazione efficacenete co-creativa dei sistemi territoriali italiani

La trasformazione creativa (innovazione) non dovrebbe essere immaginata se non come emergente dall’interazione interna (immanente) ai soggetti individuali o inter-individuali, piuttosto che da istanze separate e superiori (trascendenti). Il compito del planning dovrebbe quindi essere quello di rendere percepibili le potenzialità di cambiamento emergenti dall’interazione della molteplicità di detentori di quote di capitale urbano (stakeholder), che includono in pratica la totalità dei soggetti, e di fornire loro validi framework di orientamento e di scambio tra differenti, e spesso inconciliabili, sistemi di ‘valori’. Sono insomma richiesti approcci innovativi all’‘urbano’, per lo più contrastanti con le tradizionali prassi di investimento infrastrutturale, realizzate a scapito dell’investimento in ‘capitale umano’. Per superare la vieta dicotomia tra approcci top-down e bottom-up appare inoltro opportuno far riferimento a un nuovo modello di governance caratterizzato da reti auto-organizzate assimilabili a un fenomeno spontaneo guidato da processi sociali più che da obiettivi politici. A questo modello social di governance fanno riferimento i cosiddetti Living Lab urbani e territoriali, da considerare come veri e propri ecosistemi di agenzie che, interagendo co-creativamente, sembrano poter costituire un utile riferimento per l’integrazione multi scalare dei livelli di governo e che, attraverso la condivisione di un’idea di impresa e/o di una problematica, sembrano anche in grado di produrre concreti effetti di rigenerazione urbano-territoriale

SGUARDI OLTRE IL PONTE CITTA’ COSTIERE DI SICILIA E CALABRIA TRA WATERFRONT NUOVE PORTUALITA’

For many years the South has been at the center of attention of the public opinion, the completion of the bridge over the Stretto di Messina, as a "resolution" passage of the connecting corridor between mainland Italy and the Sicily. That's the expression of a territorial vision of Europe based on building a network that is essential for economic exchange and north-south transport would also open a brand new relationship between continental Europe and the countries of the North African area. That vision has largely overshadowed the dynamics of the southern coastal city of our country; it’s actually proposing, on the one hand, a projected growth of settlements on the seas that surround it (Tyrrhenian, Adriatic and Ionian) to which they are very diverse forms of expression and waterfront uses of multiform coastline, on the other, a system of landing places for a substantial internal mobility (for goods and people that do not underestimate the contribution from tourism-related water) in the Mediterranean bacin. The changes related to these new forms of urban growth would change the structure of many cities in the South, Mediterranean recover ancient paths of memory, creating new destinations: they appear involved, the traditional settlement patterns in the South, the same system of connections of short and medium distance as well as assumptions that bind to the construction of local platforms and logistics. In fact, in the "long waiting" of the bridge, there are certain situations that are heavily penalizing the South in terms of production and the same quality of life of the people, but we are also witnessing the growth of short-term initiatives aimed at reducing inconveniences and create new forms of relationships. Some emerging questions. Is rising up the possibility of a different relationship with the sea that make the Eurocentric vision less effective? Are there determining alternative uses of coastal areas? Do we highlight new conveniences for transport solutions that bring shadows radicals assumed to origin? It is considered advisable the "cultural review”, before operating the assumptions above and at least the same should be the subject of critical attention. The changes related to these new forms of urban growth would change the structure of many cities in the South, Mediterranean recover ancient paths of memory, creating new destinations: they appear involved, the traditional settlement patterns in the South, the same system of connections of short and medium distance as well as assumptions that bind to the construction of local platforms and logistics. The contribution will develop for the Biennial of Towns and Town Planners in Europe focuses on the changes that are driving in the cities of the South (and especially its southern parts) in particular is to highlight the connection not yet sufficient depth between the vision-type transport terms "a unique system of relationships and the European contribution, to some extent but still innovative alternative, which flows to the reorganization of transport from urban and territorial policies, more often an expression of local needs and not properly coordinated, but nevertheless substantial, for somewhat irreversible

Vertical mobility: a multi-faceted tool for enhancing architectural heritage

Vertical mobility plays a key role in the accessibility of architectural heritage: an extraneous requisite, but indispensable for enhancing the built heritage in an inclusive way. In this framework, in the light of their multiple technological features, mechanical devices will be discussed, taking into account the interaction with the users (individuals and community). Urban and architectural design in the historical context is very often confronted with vertical mobility, in the relationships between fragmented spaces and the perceptive processes of the user. The mechanical devices can be read at the same time as technological products and as iconic moments of the narrative sequence of different urban areas. A focus will be placed on the social relevance of vertical mobility, with reference to the theme of the healthy city. The paper will report several results from an interdisciplinary research opportunity, stemming from MOVE AGED, specifically devoted to the specific needs of elderly people in the historical parts of urban settlements. The paper proposes architectural heritage as a thought-provoking, trans-disciplinary application field. In fact, the user¿s experience and technological innovation have become indispensable terms of reference in the activities of knowing, conserving and enhancing; over the last decades topics such as social inclusion, participation processes and community involvement have entered the domain of architectural heritage

Cities' Identity Through Architecture and Art

Intended to be a guide for academics, scholars, and interested leaders, this book was designed to critically assess issues related to architectural identity, the city as a scene, the city as an organism, the city as a subject, and the planning or rather approaching of one. A pressing issue for many researchers in the field, the book discusses the negative repercussions resulting from globalization. Studies have indicated that globalization, despite all the positive effects, has resulted in a loss of identity within a city. As a city develops over time, its identity is evolving as well and may even be lost due to rapid and constant changes it is subjected to. Discussed as well are examples and tendencies in dealing with urban identities as well as the transformation of cities and urban cultures mentioned in terms of form, identity, and art. This book is a combination of innovative research submitted to a conference on Cities’ Identity Through Architecture and Arts (CITAA) whereas scholars from all over the world gather in one venue to discuss cultural, historical, and economic issues of the city. Thus, the book offers a collective and global solution that is applicable on a universal level. The research presented in this book was conducted by authors, or rather participants of the conference from, three different continents of the world and organized by IEREK. It was a distinct opportunity for them to share their thoughts with leading scholars and professionals in the field of Architecture, Arts, and Planning. The research and materials in this book are directed at those who are actively engaged in the decision-making processes and to a heterogeneous audience who has an interest to critically examine all the new literature available in the field. A special word of thanks should be made to the editors of this book and to all the authors and co-authors of the chapters who collectively provided the academic community with unique and increasingly valuable literature

Policies of Resilience in the New Institutional Process. The Case-Studies of Palermo and Siracusa in the South of Italy

At the end of 2012, the PON METRO National Scheme was set up in Italy, inspired by the EU Urban Agenda. It also allows towns like Palermo to test and reach targets of urban resilience, focusing on mobility and sustainable energy in order to improve life in the cities together with innovative policies of social inclusion. Other medium-sized cities also tried to face the problem of urban resilience without using national funds. The city of Siracusa, for example, made use of EU direct co-financing schemes. This paper aims to analyse the planning projects and measures adopted in Sicily over the past few years in order to examine government approaches focusing on resilience or those that are somehow linked to it. The comparison shows that, despite the wide range of opportunities (European, National and Regional policies, etc.) a number of differences may be listed in the adoption of schemes for urban planning and for the implementation of transition measures from a linear, rational, sequential, normative and regulative approach to the circular, active, flexible and versatile approach needed to tackle the problems linked to urban resilience. This proposal suggests that new policies are needed. The new policies should focus not only on funds but also on the creation of an innovative laboratory of projects involving all the cities in equal ways and on the building of a platform to exchange data and compare the different practices adopted in relation to urban and local resilience

Agrigento: dai conflitti alle speranze per lo sviluppo della disciplina urbanistica

La frana di agrigento ha condizionato non solo lo sviluppo di una città del sud resa nota dalla Valle dei Templi in tutto il mondo, ma ha rappresentato il momento di avvio dell'urbanistica razionale da parte dello Stato italiano. Gli esiti di quegli interventi per la città sono stati incerti ed in alcuni casi fallimentari. Solo in tempi recenti è finalmente possibile intravedere i segni del rinnovamento nella pratica urbanistica in Sicilia