Strade per la gente

a cura di / edited by Cristiana Cellucci, Rosaria Revellini, Valeria Tatano, Dario Trabucco

STRADE PER LA GENTE

Le persone negli spazi aperti: progetti, pratiche e ricerche per il benessere psicofisico

STREETS FOR PEOPLE

Individuals in outdoor environments: projects, practices and research for the psychophysical well-being

a cura di / edited by Cristiana Cellucci, Rosaria Revellini, Valeria Tatano, Dario Trabucco

STRADE PER LA GENTE

Le persone negli spazi aperti: progetti, pratiche e ricerche per il benessere psicofisico

STREETS FOR PEOPLE

Individuals in outdoor environments: projects, practices and research for the psychophysical well-being

Collana CLUSTER AA Accessibilità Ambientale

I volumi inseriti in questa collana sono soggetti a procedura di double blind peer review.

Direttore della collana

Adolfo F.L. Baratta, Università degli Studi Roma Tre

Comitato scientifico della collana

Erminia Attaianese, Università degli Studi Napoli Federico II

Adolfo F.L. Baratta, Università degli Studi Roma Tre

Laura Calcagnini, Università degli Studi Roma Tre

Cristiana Cellucci, Università Iuav Venezia

Massimiliano Condotta, Università Iuav Venezia

Christina Conti, Università degli Studi di Udine

Daniel D’Alessandro, Universidad de Morón, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Maria De Santis, Università degli Studi di Firenze

Francesca Giofrè, Sapienza Università di Roma

Luca Marzi, Università degli Studi di Firenze

Giuseppe Mincolelli, Università degli Studi di Ferrara

Paola Pellegrini, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China

Lorenzo Savio, Politecnico di Torino

Nicoletta Setola, Università degli Studi di Firenze

Valeria Tatano, Università Iuav Venezia

Dario Trabucco, Università Iuav Venezia

Renata Valente, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli

Aderenti al Cluster Accessibilità Ambientale 2025

Luigi Alini, Veronica Amodeo, Jacopo Andreotti, Emilio Antoniol, Marianna Arcieri, Vitangelo Ardito, Erminia Attaianese, Adolfo F.L. Baratta, Morena Barilà, Oscar Eugenio Bellini, Elena Bellini, Francesco Bertiato, Anita Bianco, Roberto Bosco, Laura Calcagnini, Arianna Camellato, Gaetano Caponetti, Cristiana Cellucci, Alberto Cervesato, Barbara Chiarelli, Massimiliano Condotta, Christina Conti, Maria De Santis, Ylenia Di Dario, Nicoletta Faccitondo, Maria Luisa Germanà, Francesca Giofrè, Ludovica Gregori, Nicla Indrigo, Angela Lacirignola, Antonio Magarò, Michele Marchi, Massimo Mariani, Lucia Martincigh, Luca Marzi, Giulia Mazzucco, Mickeal Milocco Borlini, Giuseppe Mincolelli, Martina Mulinacci, Eletta Naldi, Ilaria Oberti, Nicola Panzini, Ambra Pecile, Mariangela Perillo, Giovanni Perrucci, Rosaria Revellini, Mirko Romagnoli, Rossella Roversi, Laura Sacchetti, Giacobbe Savino, Lorenzo Savio, Chiara Scanagatta, Simone Secchi, Nicoletta Setola, Rossella Siani, Mario Nicola Siragusa, Andrea Tartaglia, Valeria Tatano, Marina Tonolo, Dario Trabucco, Luca Trulli, Renata Valente, Luigi Vessella, Giulia Vignati, Elisa Zatta.

CLUSTER AA | 07

STRADE PER LA GENTE / STREETS FOR PEOPLE

Le persone negli spazi aperti: progetti, pratiche e ricerche per il benessere psicofisico / Individuals in outdoor environments: projects, practices and research for the psychophysical well-being a cura di / edited by Cristiana Cellucci, Rosaria Revellini, Valeria Tatano, Dario Trabucco

ISBN 979-12-5953-200-8 (print)

ISBN 979-12-5953-188-9 (digital - open access)

ISSN 2704-906X

Prima edizione novembre 2025 / First edition November 2025

Editore / Publisher

Anteferma Edizioni S.r.l. via Asolo 12, Conegliano, TV edizioni@anteferma.it

Copyright Quest’opera è distribuita con Licenza Creative Commons Attribuzione – Non commerciale – No opere derivate 4.0 Internazionale

This book is published under a Creative Commons license Attribution – Non Commercial – No Derivates 4.0 International

STRADE PER LA GENTE

Le persone negli spazi aperti: progetti, pratiche e ricerche per il benessere psicofisico

STREETS FOR PEOPLE

Individuals in outdoor environments: projects, practices and research for the psychophysical well-being

COMITATO SCIENTIFICO / SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

Erminia Attaianese, Università degli Studi Napoli Federico II

Adolfo F.L. Baratta, Università degli Studi Roma Tre

Alberto A. Bassi, Università Iuav di Venezia

Alessandra Battisti, Sapienza Università di Roma

Giovanni Borga, Università Iuav di Venezia

Laura Calcagnini, Università degli Studi Roma Tre

Cristiana Cellucci, Università Iuav di Venezia

Maria Rosario Chaza Chimeno, Universidad de Sevilla, Siviglia (Spagna)

Massimiliano Condotta, Università Iuav di Venezia

Christina Conti, Università degli Studi di Udine

Daniel D’Alessandro, Universidad de Morón, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Maria De Santis, Università degli Studi di Firenze

Sara Eloy, University of Antwerp, Anversa (Belgio)

Luciano Gamberini, Università degli Studi di Padova

Francesca Giofrè, Sapienza Università di Roma

Alessandro Greco, Università di Pavia

Mario Losasso, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II

Sibila Marques, Instituto Universitàrio de Lisboa (Portogallo)

Luca Marzi, Università degli Studi di Firenze

Jaime Migone Rettig, Corporación del Patrimonio Industrial de Chile (Cile)

Giuseppe Mincolelli, Università degli Studi di Ferrara

Piera Nobili, C.E.R.P.A. Italia ETS

Paola Pellegrini, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou (Cina)

Fernando Rico Delgado, Universidad de Sevilla, Siviglia (Spagna)

Iginio Rossi, Istituto Nazionale di Urbanistica

Lorenzo Savio, Politecnico di Torino

Elisabetta Schiavone, C.E.R.P.A. Italia ETS

Nicoletta Setola, Università degli Studi di Firenze

Andrea Tartaglia, Politecnico di Milano

Valeria Tatano, Università Iuav di Venezia

Dario Trabucco, Università Iuav di Venezia

Renata Valente, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli

Teresa Villani, Sapienza Università di Roma

COMITATO ORGANIZZATIVO / ORGANIZING COMMITTEE (Università Iuav di Venezia)

Emilio Antoniol

Giovanni Perrucci

Rosaria Revellini

Chiara Scanagatta

Elisa Zatta

Il presente volume raccoglie i contributi presentati a seguito della call for paper e selezionati tramite processo di double blind review da parte del Comitato Scientifico. L’omonimo Convegno Internazionale si è svolto presso l’Università Iuav di Venezia, Palazzo Badoer, in data 7 novembre 2025 ed è stato organizzato dai membri del Cluster Accessibilità Ambientale dello Iuav, con il patrocinio di SITdA, INU e Fondazione Iuav.

This volume collects the contributions presented after the call for papers and selected through a double blind review process by the Scientific Committee. The International Conference, of the same name, took place at the Università Iuav di Venezia, Palazzo Badoer, on 7th November 2025 and was organised by the members of the Iuav Environmental Accessibility Cluster, with the patronage of SITdA, INU and the Iuav Foundation.

Adolfo F.L. Baratta

Cristiana Cellucci, Rosaria Revellini, Valeria Tatano, Dario Trabucco

AND METHODOLOGICAL

Valeria Tatano

20 Il PEBA, da strumento tecnico a volano culturale

PEBA, from a Technical Tool to a Cultural Catalyst

Elena De Toni

28

36

PEBA, approccio di rete e luoghi d’interesse. Nella cerchia muraria cinquecentesca della città di Piacenza

PEBA, Network-Based Approach and Places of Interest. Within the Sixteenth-Century Walled Circle of the City of Piacenza

Roberto Bolici, Adriana Fantini

Toward a GIS tool for Designing Accessible Urban Routes

Verso uno strumento GIS per la progettazione di percorsi urbani accessibili

Renata Valente, Louise Anna Mozingo, Mihaela Bianca Maienza, Savino Giacobbe

44

Ri-abitare il passato: buone pratiche per l’accessibilità degli spazi condivisi della città storica

Re-inhabiting the Past: Good Practices for the Accessibility of Shared Spaces in the Historic City

Piero Casacchia

52 La rigenerazione degli spazi aperti del quartiere San Girolamo a Bari

The Regeneration of Open Spaces in the San Girolamo District of Bari

Laura Calcagnini, Luca Trulli, Daniele Mazzoni

60 Sinergia tra Active Design e Universal Design per la progettazione degli spazi pubblici aperti

Integration of Active Design and Universal Design in the Design of Open Public Spaces

Ilaria Oberti, Isabella T. Steffan

68 Vedila diversaMente. Un progetto di autocostruzione per la diffusione della cultura dell’accessibilità urbana

Vedila diversaMente. A Self-built Project to Promote a Culture of Urban Accessibility

Leonardo Zaffi, Eletta Naldi

76 Teaching Accessibility as “Cultural Posture” through Innovative Pedagogies and Methodologies. The Case of an Academic Program to Rethink Campus as Urban Space

Insegnare l’accessibilità come “postura culturale” attraverso pedagogie e metodologie innovative: il caso di un programma universitario per ripensare il campus come spazio urbano

Mabel Giraldo, Serenella Besio

84 Ausili per la mobilità: verso nuove norme per la progettazione inclusiva degli spazi

Mobility Aids: Towards new Standards for Inclusive Space Design

Giovanni Perrucci, Dario Trabucco, Luca Marzi, Elena Giacomello

92 Reclaiming Public Space: Socio-technical Infrastructures for Inclusive and Accessible Cities. Insights from Three European Research-action Projects

Riconquistare lo spazio pubblico: infrastrutture sociotecniche per città inclusive e accessibili. L’esperienza di tre progetti di ricerca-azione europei

Danila Longo, Rossella Roversi, Martino Pietropoli

100 Dall’ordinario all’emergenza: gli spazi aperti come luogo di prima accoglienza

Urban Open Spaces in Times of Crisis: from Everyday Public Use to Population Assembly Areas in Emergency

Elisabetta Schiavone, Laura Cennini

108 PEOPLE PERSONE

Cristiana Cellucci

110 Lo spazio non è neutrale. Una riflessione sulla rappresentazione grafica della disabilità di genere Space is not Neutral. A Reflection on the Graphic Representation of Gender Disability

Cristiana Cellucci, Rosaria Revellini, Valeria Tatano

120 Rethinking Public Space: Strategies for Inclusive and Climate-Resilient Cities

Ripensare lo spazio pubblico: strategie per città inclusive e climaticamente resilienti

Farah Lyna Chaib, Caterina Frettoloso

128 Camminare con la demenza: mappature partecipate per la costruzione di ambienti urbani inclusivi

Walking with Dementia: Participatory Mapping for the Creation of Inclusive Urban Environments

Chiara Dallaserra, Livia Porro, Anna Viganò

136 Using Virtual Reality to Explore Older Adults’ Preferences for Green Streets: Design Guidelines

Utilizzo della Realtà Virtuale per esplorare le preferenze degli anziani per le strade verdi: linee guida di progettazione

Sara Eloy, Sibila Marques, André Samora-Arvela, Mariana Montalvão e Silva, Nuno Pereira da Silva, Emerson Do Bú, Francisco Melo, Miguel Sales Dias

144 Ageing in Place e Inclusive Design. Nuove domande di città per una società che invecchia

Ageing in Place and Inclusive Design. New City Demands for an Ageing Society

Antonella Sarlo, Francesco Bagnato

152 Smart-inclusive Urbanery. Salute e integrazione digitale nella progettazione urbana in ottica Lifecourse

Smart-inclusive Urbanery. Health and Digital Integration in the Urban Design from a Lifecourse Perspective

Mariangela Perillo

160 Strategie climate-responsive per una didattica open-air negli spazi scolastici della prima infanzia

Climate-responsive Strategies for Open-air Learning in Early Childhood Educational Spaces

Andrea Canducci, Alessandra Battisti, Giovanni Dall’Olio, Michele Zinzi

168 Accessibility Assessment for High Schools: an Integrated Approach in the Metropolitan City of Naples

Valutare l’accessibilità alle scuole superiori: approccio integrato nella Città Metropolitana di Napoli

Roberto Bosco, Louise Anna Mozingo, Renata Valente

176 Esperimenti di piazze scolastiche per il benessere collettivo: il progetto partecipativo di Chieri

Testing School Plazas for Community Well-being: a Participatory Project in Chieri

Andrés Maidana Legal, Mario Bellinzona, Chiara Viano, Elisa Cocimano

184 Ingiustizie socio-spaziali e Comunità Sorda, una narrazione

filmica condivisa

Socio-Spatial Injustices and the Deaf Community: Toward a Shared Filmic Narrative

Marina Fanari

192

Neuro-inclusive cities: strategie di progettazione per l’accessibilità cognitiva e sensoriale

Neuro-inclusive Cities: Design Strategies for Cognitive and Sensorial Accessibility

Morena Barilà, Erminia Attaianese

200 Architectural Heritage and the Inclusion of the Visually Impaired Il patrimonio architettonico e l’inclusione degli ipovedenti

Fernando Rico Delgado, María Rosario Chaza Chimeno, Pablo Díaz

Cañete

208 WaVe. Design and ICT for an Inclusive Urban Space

WaVe. Design e ICT per uno spazio urbano inclusivo

Giovanni Borga, Maximiliano Ernesto Romero

216 Notturna. La percezione della sicurezza nell’uso della città attraverso una prospettiva di genere

At Night. Safety Perception in the City Use Through a Gender Perspective

Cristiana Cellucci, Rosaria Revellini, Valeria Tatano

226 URBAN OPEN SPACES SPAZI APERTI IN CITTÀ

Rosaria Revellini

228 Trauma-Informed Approaches to Urban Outdoor Spaces: Pathways to Inclusive Design

Approcci informati sul trauma nella progettazione di spazi urbani all’aperto: per un design inclusivo

Gabriele Carmelo Rosato

238 Le internità dei vuoti. Indagine teorico-percettiva sullo spazio urbano attraverso una pluralità di sguardi

The Interior of Voids. A Theoretical-Perceptual Investigation of Urban Space Through a Plurality of Perspectives

Francesca Spacagna, Alessia Diana

246

S.P.In.A. Spazi e Persone In Attesa. Rigenerare gli spazi aperti in tre comuni periurbani della Città di Torino

S.P.In.A. Spaces and People Awaiting. Regenerating Open Spaces in Three Peri-Urban Municipalities of the City of Turin

Luigi Vessella, Mirko Romagnoli, Mario Bellinzona, Elisa Cocimano

254 Lo “spazio intermedio” come dispositivo di accessibilità

inclusiva: il caso studio di un progetto a Barcellona

The “Intermediate Space” as a Device for Inclusive

Accessibility: the Case Study of a Project in Barcelona

Lara Paloma Gaia Gallonetto, Elisa Scattolin

260 Riattivare gli spazi pubblici urbani sottoutilizzati.

Multifunzionalità, flessibilità e uso temporaneo

Reactivating Underutilized Urban Public Spaces. Multifunctionality, Flexibility, and Temporary Use

Giulia Vignati

270 La strada da spazio funzionale a spazio pubblico: co-progettazione di viale della Vittoria di Jesi (AN)

From Functional Space to Public Space: the Co-Design of Viale della Vittoria in Jesi (AN)

Alessia Guaiani,Valentina Polci, Ludovica Simionato, Aline Soares Cortes, Rosalba D’Onofrio

278 Accessibilità e coesione sociale negli spazi pubblici di transizione: il caso delle Piagge a Firenze

Accessibility and Social Cohesion in Transitional Public Spaces: the Case of Le Piagge in Florence

Maria De Santis, Arianna Camellato, Alessandro Leonelli

286 Progettare spazi pubblici nella città storica. Una piazza ecologica e inclusiva a Pavia

Designing Public Spaces in the Historical City. An Ecological and Inclusive Square in Pavia

Carlo Berizzi, Alessandro Greco, Lorenzo Quaglini, Gaia Nerea Terlicher

294 Nodi infrastrutturali accessibili. Analisi e proposte per la rigenerazione del piazzale della stazione di Rogoredo a Milano

Accessible Infrastructure Nodes: Analysis and Proposals for the Regeneration of Rogoredo Station Square in Milan

Andrea Tartaglia, Elena Mussinelli, Giovanni Castaldo, Annamaria Sereni, Martina Mulinacci

304 Perugia, scale mobili per la gente

Perugia, Escalators for People

Paolo Belardi

310 Il comfort termico come ulteriore fattore di accessibilità ambientale: metodi di analisi e valutazione

Thermal Comfort as an Additional Factor of Environmental Accessibility: Methods of Analysis and Evaluation

Lucia Martincigh, Giovanna Spadafora, Elisabetta Tortora

318 Cool street: atlante dei materiali urbani per pavimentazioni di spazi pubblici inclusivi e resilienti

Cool Street: Atlas of Urban Materials for Inclusive and Resilient Public Space Paving

Alessandra Battisti, Angela Calvano, Eva Vergara, Livia Calcagni, Andrea Canducci

326 Strade di transizione, nuovi spazi per la mitigazione ambientale. Il caso di Centocelle a Roma

Transitional Streets, New Spaces for Environmental Mitigation. The Case of Centocelle in Rome

Alessandro Gabbianelli, Luca Montuori, Maria Pone

334 GREEN SPACES FOR THE WELL-BEING

SPAZI VERDI PER IL BENESSERE

Dario Trabucco

336 Parchi giochi e CAM: strumenti di progettazione partecipata per la sostenibilità e l’inclusione

Playgrounds and CAMs: Participatory Design Tools for Sustainability and Inclusion

Fabrizio Mezzalana, Teresa Villani, Giulia Pentella

344 Parco Schuster come laboratorio di accessibilità: metodi, strumenti e risultati di una ricerca sugli spazi aperti pubblici inclusivi

Schuster Park as a Laboratory for Accessibility: Methods, Tools, and Outcomes of a Research Project on Inclusive Public Open Spaces

Adolfo F.L. Baratta, Massimo Mariani, Marina Tonolo

352 Riabilitare nel parco. Un circuito di addestramento per la formazione alla mobilità in autonomia

Rehabilitation in the Park. A Training Circuit for Autonomous Mobility Learning

Christina Conti, Alberto Cervesato

360 Green Phlegrean Network: progettare percorsi verdi per la salute e l’accessibilità ai Campi Flegrei

Green Phlegrean Network: Designing Green Routes for Health and Accessibility in the Phlegrean Fields

Ylenia Di Dario, Erminia Attaianese

368 Stato di attuazione del Programma Dateci Spazio: il confronto tra i casi di Bologna, Roma e Bari

Implementation Status of Dateci Spazio Program: the Comparison Between Bologna, Rome and Bari

Jacopo Andreotti, Fabrizio Finucci, Antonella G. Masanotti, Michele Solazzo

378 Per la fruizione del patrimonio verde: un esempio veneziano Towards the Enjoyment of Green Heritage: A Case Study from Venice

Francesca Salatin

386 Walkover: l’azione del camminare come segno urbano

Walkover: Walking as an Urban Sign

Federica Barraco, Federica Bavetta

392

Rigenerare lo spazio pubblico urbano: progettare strade verdi, accessibili e resilienti. Dai manuali internazionali al caso studio di San Donà di Piave

Regenerating Urban Public Space: Green, Accessible and Resilient Streets. From International Guidelines to the San Donà di Piave Case Study

Emilio Antoniol, Maria Antonia Barucco, Federica Crosato

400 Spazi fitness outdoor e accessibilità: ripensare il design urbano per la salute e l’equità

Outdoor Fitness Spaces and Accessibility: Rethinking Urban Design for Health and Equity

Francesco Bertiato

410 Ecodesign per l’inclusione: strategie di economia circolare per spazi urbani accessibili e sostenibili

Ecodesign for Inclusion: Circular Economy Strategies for Accessible and Sustainable Urban Spaces

Giovanna Binetti, Benedetta Terenzi

418 Design per l’inclusione. Il progetto PLEINAIR per ripensare gli spazi pubblici tra tecnologia, partecipazione e benessere ambientale

Design for Inclusion. The PLEINAIR Project to Rethink Public Spaces Through Technology, Participation, and Environmental Well-being

Michele Marchi, Giuseppe Mincolelli

426

Rethinking Public Spaces: a Hydroponic Solution for Food Security and Social Cohesion

Ripensare gli spazi pubblici: una soluzione idroponica per la sicurezza alimentare e la coesione sociale

Giovanni Borga, Davide Todde, Riccardo Varini

434 Gli spazi verdi delle Case della Comunità: opportunità per promuovere la salute e la qualità ambientale

Community Health Centres’ Green Spaces: Opportunities to Promote Health and Environmental Quality

Laura Sacchetti, Elena Bellini, Nicoletta Setola

FOREWORD PREFAZIONE

Adolfo F.L. Baratta

The Environmental Accessibility Cluster of the Italian Society of Architectural Technology (SITdA) promotes cultural initiatives, such as a series of international conferences every two years, bringing together more than sixty scholars from fifteen different universities. After a first event – the conference took place in Florence on November 20, 2023 –dedicated to Species of Spaces and Other Pieces (1974) by Georges Perec (De Santis et al., 2023), the second event is dedicated to Streets for People: a Primer for Americans by Bernard Rudofsky. As two years ago, the second event gave me the opportunity to revisit the profile of an extraordinary author and reread his text that is an indispensable reference for those involved in urban landscape design. Bernard Rudofsky was Austrian by nationality, born in what is now the Czech Republic, later adopted by the United States, and Italian by choice: these few biographical notes are enough to understand the breadth of this architect-explorer. Two books stand out in his remarkable body of work: Architecture Without Architects (1964), in which Rudofsky emphasizes the usefulness of the lessons imparted by vernacular and non-authorial architecture, and Streets for People: A Primer for Americans (1969), in which Rudofsky defines the historical phenomenon that generated the harmonious solutions of Mediterranean cities. Furthermore, the text questions how open spaces (including streets, squares, parks, arcades, and loggias) can contribute to improving the quality of living (Leveratto, 2023). However, the space to live is not meant as the mere physical expression of housing but as the stratification of functional, social, historical, and economic components that influence the image of open space and, therefore, the daily quality of people’s lives. It is no coincidence that “the book is dedicated to the unknown pedestrian”. “The street is the matrix: urban chamber, fertile soil and place of hatching. Its vitality depends as much on the right kind of architecture as well as the right kind of humanity” (Rudofsky, 1969, p. 20).

Scholars and researchers have reflected on this topic and, in a selection of over fifty papers, have created a rich and articulate book of proceedings that highlights the role of intermediate spaces as places of encounter and cross-fertilization for all people. Reading the papers collected in these proceedings, it is clear what contribution open spaces can make to people’s mental and physical well-being and autonomy. In fact, given the frequently perceived dissociation between people and the environment, there is a need for welcoming urban spaces in which to interact, express oneself, educate, learn, and share. Urban spaces regulated by rights, including the right to access, autonomy, and safety, which are the synthesis of technical knowledge and everyday practices, whose quality “is measured in the ability to generate belonging and transformation,” as Gallonetto and Scattolin point out in their paper. I am grateful to the editors at the Università Iuav di Venezia; the papers collected here reveal a wealth of ideas.

I eagerly await 2027 to find out what and who the third event will be dedicated to!

Bibliographic references

De Santis, M., Marzi, L., Secchi, S., Setola, N. (eds.) (2023). Specie di Spazi. Promuovere il benessere psico-fisico attraverso il progetto, Conegliano: Anteferma.

Leveratto, J. (2023). “Streets for People: A Primer for Americans”, Transatlantic Transfers Project: the Italian presence in post-war America. Available on: https://transatlantictransfers.polimi.it/it/atlas/713/streets-for-people-a-primer-foramericans (accessed in September 2025).

Perec, G. (1974). Species of Spaces and Other Pieces. London: Penguin edition.

Rudofsky, B. (1964). Architecture Without Architects. New York: MoMA.

Rudofsky, B. (1969). Streets for People: A Primer for Americans. New York: Doubleday.

INTRODUCTION INTRODUZIONE

Cristiana Cellucci Università Iuav di Venezia, DCP. Professoressa associata di Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura.

Rosaria Revellini Università Iuav di Venezia, DCP. Assegnista di ricerca postdoc in Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura.

Valeria Tatano Università Iuav di Venezia, DCP. Professoressa ordinaria di Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura.

Dario Trabucco Università Iuav di Venezia, DCP. Professore associato di Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura.

C. CELLUCCI, R. REVELLINI, T. TATANO, D. TRABUCCO

The International Conference (Strade per la gente. Le persone negli spazi aperti: progetti, pratiche e ricerche per il benessere psicofisico (Streets for People. People in Open Spaces: Projects, Practices and Research for Psychophysical Well-being) originates from the desire of the Accessibilità Ambientale (Environmental Accessibility) cluster of the Società Italiana di Tecnologia dell’Architettura (SITdA) to continue the series of meetings held in recent years on the themes of psychophysical well-being and people’s life autonomy, with the aim of increasingly improving inclusivity in architecture.

This edition of the cluster’s conference focuses on outdoor spaces, taking inspiration from Bernard Rudofsky’s book Streets for People: A Primer for Americans, in which the author explores the habits of Mediterranean populations in living outdoors, enjoying squares, streets, arcades, stairways, and inhabited bridges – “environments” shaped over centuries by builders capable of combining architecture with the geographical, but also cultural and social, conditions of its inhabitants (Rudofsky, 1981). Published in 1969 in New York and translated into Italian twelve years later, the volume is still capable of directing the reader’s gaze toward the many habits and practices of public space use in Italian, Mediterranean, and, more broadly, Eastern cities, reminding us of the richness of the “theaters of life” we inhabit.

Although it is not a text specifically about accessibility, it conveys an attitude of social inclusion typical of the Mediterranean world – an essential premise for the inclusive accessibility presented by this book.

Places can welcome and protect, or reject and hinder, and the failures of planning or managing open spaces without consideration for the values inherent in public space affect everyone – but especially those with specific needs. These are needs and requirements that, outside of private homes or protected contexts, emerge more clearly and represent a limitation to autonomy and inclusion.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of 2006 repeatedly recalls the concept of autonomy in its articles, reaffirming the need to allow people “To enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life,” by adopting all necessary measures to “ensure to persons with disabilities access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems, and to other facilities and services open or provided to the public, both in urban and in rural areas”

Ensuring that all people, regardless of their social identity (gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, social group), can carry out their daily lives in public spaces realizes the concept theorized by Henri Lefebvre in 1968 of the “right to the city,” understood as the right of each individual to a non-segregating spatial experience capable of supporting their life. However, the goal of independent living still faces numerous obstacles and some shortcomings (Lefebvre, 1970).

In Italy, for example, along with delays in drafting the Piani per l’Eliminazione delle barriere Architettoniche (Plans for the Elimination of Architectural Barriers), and in carrying out the works identified by them, there are still barriers, dangers, and limited usability of open-air public spaces. To these physical obstacles are added other barriers that hinder the right to the city – violence, poverty, isolation, etc. – which impact citizens’ ability to participate fully and freely in the social life of the city itself.

Urban environments, in their various uses – even exceptional ones, such as when they become settings for outdoor events – along with natural spaces such as parks, gardens, beaches, and rural or mountain areas, must guarantee full and equal enjoyment for all people, and this objective has not yet been fully achieved. Moreover, it is necessary to consider that, in addition to ordinary contexts, there are emergency scenarios in which people’s vulnerabilities to

external factors – for example, those related to climate change or natural disasters – heighten their fragilities and further limit their use of urban spaces. The climate crisis, in fact, is pushing cities to change and to invest more decisively, on the one hand in the quality of life and urban spaces between buildings, neighborhoods, suburbs, inner areas, and in the fine quality of urban facilities, sidewalks, greenery, and seating to generate and regenerate new ways of living and coexisting, and on the other hand in concrete actions of renaturalization, environmental mitigation, and containment of the effects of drought and floods, which are essential to ensure the livability of these places.

The need to recognize the coexistence of different forms of barriers or limits (environmental, gender-based, age-related, ethnic, ethical, disability-related, and sexuality-related) within the same “physical body” of cities and their public spaces opens a reflection on the intersectional and gender perspective in relation to issues of accessibility and inclusion (Jacobs, 1969; Kern, 2024). It is therefore a matter not only of investigating the different forms of oppression and discrimination perpetrated by the city and of highlighting and explaining the possible interconnections and interdependencies, but of considering the perspective of intersectionality to increase what Patricia Hill Collins (1990) defines as the awareness of the role that communities have in defining their identities and in building greater social justice, enhancing the complexity of people’s daily lives.

The contributions that responded to the call for papers interpreted its purpose by further expanding the fields of investigation, leading to a modification of the thematic sessions compared to those proposed in the original call, and organizing the essays according to four areas:

1. Regulations and methodological approaches;

2. People;

3. Urban open spaces;

4. Green spaces for the well-being.

C. CELLUCCI, R. REVELLINI, T. TATANO, D. TRABUCCO

Bibliographic references

Hill Collins, P. (1990). Black Feminist Thought. Knowledge, Consciousness and the Politics of Empowerment. New York: Routledge.

Jacobs, J. (1969). Vita e morte delle grandi città: saggio sulle metropoli americane (ed. or. The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Random House, New York City, 1961). Torino: Einaudi.

Kern, L. (2024). La città femminista. La lotta per lo spazio in un mondo disegnato da uomini (ed. or. Feminist city: claiming space in a man-made world, Verso, London and New York, 2020). Roma: Treccani.

Lefevre, H. (1970). Il diritto alla città (ed. or. Le droit à la ville, éditions Anthropos, Paris, 1968). Padova: Marsilio.

Nazioni Unite (2006). Convenzione delle Nazioni Unite sui diritti delle persone con disabilità. Adottata dall’assemblea generale ONU il 13 dicembre 2006 ed entrata in vigore il 3 maggio 2008

Rudosky, B. (1981). Strade per la gente. Architettura e ambiente umano (ed. or. Streets for people: A primer for Americans, Doubleday, New York, 1969). Roma-Bari: Laterza.

REGULATIONS AND METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES STRUMENTI NORMATIVI E APPROCCI METODOLOGICI

Valeria Tatano

The relationship between regulations and design often proves to be a “troubled yet necessary relationship”, since, although it is marked by constraints and limitations that can make the process complex, it can also benefit from “valid and shared knowledge” (Torricelli, 2024), which constitutes the very essence of regulations.

This intrinsic value, a product of the origin of the regulations, is a distinctive feature of many of the regulatory tools related to inclusive design. Their origins, studies, contributions, and experimentation (Ornati, 2004; Vescovo, 1997) can be traced back to the processes that led to their enactment.

A constant process of interpretation, in-depth analysis, and critical evaluation revolves around the regulatory framework, enabling a better understanding of the regulations themselves and the identification of new potential applications over time.

This value can be attributed to Law No. 13 of 1989, and to the Ministerial Decree No. 236 of the same year, and to the Presidential Decree No. 503 which aim to overcome and eliminate architectural barriers, in addition to the 2008 MIBAC Guidelines for sites of cultural interest. Though not recent, these laws could benefit from some updates, yet remain solid in their framework and strategy – designed to combine both performancebased and prescriptive approaches.

However, like all regulations, these too do not fully address the issues raised by the design process, which requires additional tools to address the vast range of topics and specificities that design entails at all scales. In this sense, the research work carried out continuously by the academic scientific community and some independent researchers is far from self-referential or confined to academia. It generates a wide array of results, consisting of investigations, proposals, and insights aimed at the academic world as well as all those who consider ongoing learning and knowledge essential to their profession, within an ethical dimension that goes beyond the legal obligations concerning professional development credits.

The essays in the first section offer a snapshot of recent work, diverse in approach and focus. These contributions propose intervention strategies that can be replicated in different contexts, applying the principles of accessibility to urban redesign to promote social integration. They explore operational tools to support decision-making for planning and monitoring street accessibility interventions effectively, adaptively, and sustainably over time. They suggest integrating Active Design and Universal Design approaches for public space design, and they address emergency planning in conjunction with inclusive design through interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and participatory methods. This snapshot captures the breadth of research interests, often in synergy with public administrations and stakeholders, as seen in the proposed case studies, reflections, and best practices which encourage progress in the awareness and practice of inclusive design, while remaining aligned with regulatory guidelines.

Bibliographic references

Ornati, A. (2004). Architettura e barriere. Storia e fatti delle barriere architettoniche in Italia e all’estero Milano: FrancoAngeli. Torricelli, M.C. (2024). Progetto e norma: una relazione travagliata ma necessaria. TECHNE – Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment, n. 27, pp. 21–26. Doi: https://doi.org/10.36253/techne-16056. Vescovo, F. (1997). Progettare per tutti senza barriere architettoniche. Criteri e orientamenti per facilitare l’accessibilità urbana ed il comfort ambientale: aggiornato con il D.P.R. 24 luglio 1996, n. 503. Santarcangelo di Romagna: Maggioli.

Il PEBA, da strumento tecnico a volano culturale

PEBA, from

a

Technical Tool to a Cultural Catalyst

The Architectural Barriers Elimination Plan, a planning tool that defines accessibility strategies, risks being perceived as a mere formality and a sterile list of physical interventions, thus losing sight of the cultural challenge we are called to face.

Starting from several case studies – the Municipalities of Padua, Rubano (PD), and Fossò (VE) – the concept of a “plan FOR everyone, WITH everyone” is explored.

The proposed investigation method is based on the use of open data and tools (such as OpenStreetMap, QGIS, etc.) for the collection and sharing of accessibility information, with the goal of creating an information asset that is not only available to the proposing authority but to the entire community. This dataset can be continuously updated over time and used for various purposes (e.g., routing applications for people with specific needs or for locating designated parking spaces).

The accessibility assessment algorithm is also open, usable, and customizable for different contexts, including compliance with regional and local regulations.

Concrete situations are examined in which the PEBA must synthesize interdisciplinary needs.

The participation of all stakeholders who shape and inhabit the urban space – an essential factor in ensuring the Plan’s effectiveness and efficiency – is articulated as follows.

People with specific needs, daily users of public space, contribute through working groups and participatory mapping activities. They provide valuable perspectives that enrich the designer’s viewpoint, guide priorities, and inspire design solutions that go beyond mere regulatory compliance.

Citizens, with special attention to younger generations, are engaged through experiential activities, service learning, and outreach events. These initiatives build awareness of the topic’s public relevance – which can affect everyone at different stages of life – and foster a sense of responsibility regarding the impact of individual behavior.

Local stakeholders and professionals – decision-makers, technicians, and those implementing interventions – enhance their competencies through training and dedicated tools. These include guidance on terminology, strategies, practical solutions, common planning and execution errors, methods for working with historic buildings, and practices for monitoring and oversight.

This work of community engagement and co-creation turns the PEBA into a cultural tool for listening, openness, awareness, training, and shared responsibility.

The ultimate goal is for the accessibility plan to be, as broadly as possible, a plan accessible to all – and thus, a meaningful opportunity for inclusion.

Elena De Toni Laureata in Ingegneria edile a Padova, esercita la libera professione nel campo dell’edilizia e della pianificazione territoriale. È interessata in particolare ai processi di progettazione partecipata, ai temi dell’accessibilità e dello sviluppo urbano sostenibile.

PEBA, approccio di rete e luoghi d’interesse.

Nella

cerchia muraria cinquecentesca della città di Piacenza

PEBA, Network-Based Approach and Places of Interest. Within the Sixteenth-Century

Walled Circle of the City of Piacenza

Urban accessibility is today a key issue in the construction of inclusive cities, and PEBA (Plans for the Elimination of Architectural Barriers) represent strategic tools to ensure the right to mobility and participation. This paper offers a reflection on the cultural, regulatory and operational evolution of PEBA, highlighting their value in promoting spatial justice. Starting from the case study of the city of Piacenza, with a focus on its sixteenth-century city walls, the research explores a systemic approach based on a network of places of interest. The PEBA is interpreted not only as a regulatory requirement, but as an opportunity to reinterpret the city through an inclusive lens, recognising public space as a common good that enables individual autonomy and strengthens social capital. The analysis focuses on significant buildings and open spaces, proposing a digital mapping of criticalities and an integrated intervention model. The network-based approach and the centrality of identity-giving places emerge as distinctive features, capable of combining accessibility, environmental well-being and civic participation. The experience of Piacenza reflects an innovative pathway that places the person at the heart of urban design, in the perspective of a fairer and more welcoming civitas.

Roberto Bolici Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento ABC. Architetto, professore associato di Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura presso il Dipartimento di Architettura, Ingegneria delle Costruzioni e Ambiente Costruito del Politecnico di Milano.

Adriana Fantini Comune di Piacenza. Assessora a Urbanistica, Rigenerazione Urbana, Pianificazione per lo sviluppo sostenibile e definizione dei progetti, edilizia, mobilità sostenibile, città senza barriere del Comune di Piacenza.

Toward a GIS tool for Designing Accessible Urban Routes

Verso uno strumento GIS per la progettazione di percorsi urbani accessibili

Gli spazi pubblici urbani svolgono un ruolo fondamentale nello sviluppo urbano sostenibile e nell’aumento della qualità della vita delle comunità. Tuttavia, in molti casi, tali spazi presentano peculiarità a causa di restrizioni finanziarie e ritardi nella pianificazione esecutiva. L’avanzamento delle tecnologie digitali ha portato a un crescente focus sul monitoraggio della qualità nella progettazione e realizzazione, rendendo necessario l’impiego di nuovi strumenti e metodologie per gestire l’enorme volume di informazioni e dati che emergono durante il processo edilizio.

Promuovere la mobilità dolce e l’autonomia individuale, soprattutto per i gruppi più vulnerabili, è una priorità per la resilienza urbana e la giustizia sociale. L’impiego di tecnologie digitali e l’attenzione alle esigenze dei diversi gruppi sociali consentono di pianificare e progettare interventi per città più inclusive, vivibili e orientate alla giustizia spaziale e ambientale. Si sottolinea l’importanza di un approccio olistico nella progettazione degli spazi pubblici, superando la logica di un tecnicismo riduzionista che rischia di trascurare la complessità dei bisogni sociali, ambientali e culturali della comunità urbana.

In tale contesto, il gruppo di ricerca ha sviluppato un protocollo digitale GIS-based (Geographic Information System) di supporto alle decisioni per le autorità locali per soluzioni tecnologiche ed ambientali sull’accessibilità delle attrezzature urbane nelle aree mediterranee. La collaborazione tra l’Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” e gli uffici tecnici del Comune di Melito di Napoli(Campania, Italia), ha permesso di sviluppare uno strumento operativo di supporto decisionale che consente di pianificare e monitorare interventi di accessibilità stradale in modo efficace, adattivo e sostenibile nel tempo, ottimizzando risorse e benefici.

Il modello si basa su un’analisi integrata di dati spaziali, ambientali e funzionali, elaborati attraverso strumenti GIS, software specialistici e algoritmi di analisi di rete. La metodologia articolata in quattro fasi prevede: la costruzione del grafo viario, la valutazione delle condizioni ambientali, il calcolo integrato di accessibilità fisica-ambientale e l’individuazione dei percorsi ottimali. Infine, lo strumento permette di simulare possibili scenari di intervento (minimo, fisico, ambientale, ibrido), stimandone i costi e i benefici in termini di accessibilità. Il metodo, testato su un quartiere a sud-ovest del Comune ha evidenziato la capacità di integrare parametri quantitativi e qualitativi, offrendo alle amministrazioni uno strumento di supporto per valutare e migliorare l’accessibilità urbana in modo scalabile, replicabile e adattabile.

Renata Valente University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. Associate professor in Technological and Environmental Design at the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, former visiting scholar at the College of Environmental Design, University of California, Berkeley (USA), research on environmental design issues.

Louise Anna Mozingo University of California at Berkeley, USA. Professor of the Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning.Member of the Faculty of Urban Design of the College of Environmental Design and Affiliate Faculty in American Studies program of the College of Letters and Sciences, at the University of California, Berkeley. Mihaela Bianca Maienza University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. Architect is a research fellow in a project of the research unit of the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. Her work focuses on the development of innovative solutions using GIS-based models and creating customized plug-ins for the analysis and management of spatial and environmental data.

Savino Giacobbe University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. Civil Engineer, he is a PhD candidate in Science and Engineering for the Environment and Sustainability at the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. His research focuses on environmental design for the redevelopment of urban open spaces and the ecological rebalancing of road infrastructure contexts.

Ri-abitare il passato: buone pratiche per l’accessibilità degli spazi condivisi della città storica

Re-inhabiting the Past: Good Practices for the Accessibility of Shared Spaces in the Historic City

In smaller historic centres, the phenomenon of depopulation is a complex problem determined by structural causes such as physical inaccessibility, migratory flows towards large cities, socioeconomic decline resulting from a lack of job opportunities and the progressive erosion of the community fabric. These factors inevitably lead to a loss of local identity and a deterioration of the sense of collective belonging, resulting in the abandonment and degradation of urban spaces. Therefore, demographic transformations, the process of urbanisation and the growing pressure of mass tourism have produced profound and lasting effects on the perception and living dimension of ancient nuclei. These dynamics have generated new housing needs and modified the modes of interaction between inhabitants and the built environment, undermining the traditional synergic relationship between civitas and urbs.

How to guarantee a future for such places in the contemporary urban landscape? The answer lies in the ability to generate new meanings for those who live there through a profound reading and understanding of the elements that have always characterised their material and immaterial stratifications. This process can be implemented through the conscious enjoyment of the testimonies of the historical-architectural heritage. Precisely in this sense, this contribution proposes a reflection on accessibility as a tool to regenerate the historic centre of Sermoneta (Latina), today characterised by a progressive depopulation and the loss of fundamental urban functions. In this case, accessibility is understood as a deductive process aimed at promoting knowledge, understanding and evaluation of the surrounding environment in order to favour an overall improvement in the quality of the living environment.

The revitalisation of the residential character of the historic centre depends on the ability to improve the accessibility of public and neighbourhood spaces, through adequate infrastructures to guarantee housing standards in line with national regulations. A project resulting from the collaboration between the Department of Architecture of the Università degli Studi Roma Tre, the local administration, some territorial associations and a secondary school is presented. The initiative proposes to analyse the physical and cultural accessibility of the historic centre in order to elaborate a ‘plan for accessibility’ which, by collecting data and formulating concrete solutions respecting the identity features of the historical-architectural heritage, aims at reconstructing the link, now compromised, between the ancient nucleus and the territory, safeguarding the local identity in the face of the growing cultural and social homologation of contemporary metropolises.

Piero Casacchia Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Dipartimento di Architettura. Architetto iscritto all’Ordine degli Architetti di Roma e dottore di ricerca in Architettura: innovazione e patrimonio presso il Dipartimento di Architettura dell’Università degli Studi Roma Tre, con il quale collabora attualmente.

La rigenerazione degli spazi aperti del quartiere San Girolamo a Bari The Regeneration of Open Spaces in the San Girolamo

District of Bari

This contribution presents the results of a research study situated within the broader framework of social justice and inclusivity (Nota et al., 2023), and more specifically, within the contemporary debate on the social impacts of urban regeneration aimed at ensuring the highest level of environmental accessibility. This debate asserts that the concept of regeneration has evolved from a focus solely on the physical transformation of cities to a broader vision of change capable of improving the quality of life for residents (Cerreta et al., 2021).

With the ambition of contributing to the reduction of economic and social inequalities that characterize large portions of contemporary urban contexts (Nagel, 2023), the research focused on urban environments marked by three dimensions of vulnerability: economic vulnerability, understood as difficulty in sustaining housing maintenance costs; housing vulnerability, understood as dissatisfaction with one’s living environment; and social vulnerability, understood as challenges related to health and employment (ISTAT, 2020).

The primary objective of the study was to identify specific thematic areas for intervention to improve the quality of life in peripheral urban neighborhoods, particularly in the intermediate spaces between buildings. The research emphasized the provision of more satisfactory and sustainable housing solutions, the enhancement of public services and equipped open spaces, and the activation of cooperative models among residents.

As a case study, the San Girolamo district in Bari, Italy, was selected – referred to as “the forgotten neighborhood where the law no longer exists” (Schena, 2022). The area is characterized by severe structural deficiencies and a lack of community-oriented services and equipped spaces, which correspond to a degraded social context. San Girolamo exemplifies an urban environment marked by various forms of barriers and constraints within the built fabric, accommodating approximately 200 families and lacking a structured public space.

The research, funded by Arca Puglia Centrale, enabled the implementation of identified strategies through a comprehensive framework of design actions. These include the redefinition of social spaces, the creation of new outdoor event settings, the reorganization of local circulation routes, and the integration of equipped and green areas. These actions aim to ensure full accessibility for all users and the realization of more inclusive public spaces that are resilient to climate change and managed according to principles of social and economic sustainability.

The study, titled “Arca GREAT San Girolamo” (Green, Resilient, Equal, Accessible, Tidy), is expected to be implemented during the 2025–2028 period and will serve as a Design Guidelines Document. The project will be executed in phases over the course of that triennium.

Laura Calcagnini Università degli Studi Roma Tre. Architetto, dottore di ricerca in Energetica, master di II livello in Progettazione ambientale. Ricercatrice e titolare del corso di Materiali ed elementi costruttivi presso l’Università degli Studi Roma Tre svolge attività di ricerca su qualità ambientale e prestazionale degli edifici e dell’ambiente.

Luca Trulli Università degli Studi Roma Tre. Architetto e dottore di ricerca. Attualmente assegnista di ricerca presso l’Università degli Studi Roma Tre svolge attività di ricerca sulle tematiche dell’innovazione tecnologica e materica, su aspetti programmatori e procedurali con particolare attenzione sui temi dell’accessibilità.

Daniele Mazzoni Università degli Studi Roma Tre. Architetto, è dottorando presso il Dipartimento di Architettura dell’Università Roma Tre. Il suo ambito di ricerca si concentra sull’individuazione di uno strumento di valutazione in grado di misurare l’impatto sociale delle nuove categorie di stakeholder nelle politiche abitative innovative.

Sinergia tra Active Design e Universal Design per la progettazione degli spazi pubblici aperti

Integration of Active Design and Universal Design in

the Design of Open

Public Spaces

Contemporary cities face complex and interconnected challenges: the climate emergency, an aging population, increased international migration, the need to ensure equitable access to urban services, and the rise of diseases linked to sedentary behaviors and lifestyles. These changes require cities to become increasingly active players, aiming to be more sustainable, resilient, inclusive, safe, and health-promoting. The challenging task is to design urban environments that are oriented toward sustainability and incorporate criteria of environmental resilience, social equity, and public health. Open public spaces are key elements of the contemporary urban fabric and, as such, are strategic in a scenario of major change. They act as catalysts for social interaction, contribute to environmental regeneration, promote psychological and physical well-being, and play a key role in combating spatial inequalities. The design of these spaces, which are activating, resilient, and accessible, is a priority in urban policies. Active Design is one of the most encouraging responses to current urban challenges. Its theoretical premise is based on the consideration that the characteristics of the urban and architectural environment can influence the behavior of individuals and communities, promoting or inhibiting regular physical activity. However, this approach is not very inclusive towards people with different physical, sensory, and cognitive abilities. Universal Design, on the other hand, is a strategy aimed at ensuring that built spaces are accessible to everyone, regardless of age, ability, gender, ethnicity, or specific conditions. It is based on the idea that environments, products, and services should be designed to be used independently by the widest possible number of people, minimizing the need for subsequent modifications. On the other hand, it is oriented towards a conservative approach, focused on safety, stability, and predictability of use. Open spaces designed exclusively according to these principles, while accessible and inclusive, are characterized by being passive in their use, limiting opportunities for spontaneous movement, active socialization, and play. There is therefore a need to design open public spaces without following either approach, with the risk of offering spaces that are not very stimulating for everyone or not very accessible for many, nor to proceed by simply combining the two strategies, but rather to systematically integrate the principles of both into the design of urban public spaces. Some examples demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of actions based on this innovative design paradigm, which is capable of charting a concrete path toward more inclusive and health-promoting cities.

Ilaria Oberti Politecnico di Milano, DABC. Professore associato presso il Politecnico di Milano. Nella ricerca e didattica, è impegnata nella diffusione e nell’applicazione del concetto di “progetto etico” dell’ambiente costruito, teso a garantire il benessere delle persone, in un’ottica di inclusione, salute, sostenibilità.

Isabella T. Steffan Studio Steffan. Architetto e ergonomo professionista certificato con una vasta esperienza in materia di accessibilità, usabilità, mobilità e Design for All. È IEA Fellow, il più alto riconoscimento scientifico dell’International Ergonomics Association.

Vedila diversaMente. Un progetto di autocostruzione per la diffusione della cultura dell’accessibilità urbana

Vedila diversaMente. A Self-built

Project to Promote a Culture of Urban Accessibility

Many citizens, especially those living with disabilities or facing domestic isolation, encounter significant challenges in accessing not only private but also public spaces. While private environments often prove inadequate, public space – an essential dimension for social interaction and psychosocial wellbeing – remains largely inaccessible for many. Third-sector organizations provide specialized support to these individuals and their networks, often seeking to engage younger generations and expand their base of supporters. At the same time, experimental policies and projects are exploring innovative models and services to address collective needs sustainably, fostering collaboration between the Third Sector and youth communities.

Within this context emerges the educational experience of Vedila diversaMente, a self-built installation promoted by Pallium. This volunteer-based organization provides home healthcare assistance and is supported by Fondazione CR Firenze. The initiative engaged architecture students in a handson learning activity focused on disability awareness, inclusive design, and volunteerism. The challenge proposed to young designers was to conceive and build a temporary installation that would expose the barriers experienced by people with specific needs in public spaces, triggering a broader reflection on urban accessibility.

The project was developed as part of a thematic seminar at the Department of Architecture, University of Florence. It brought together students, faculty, and professionals in a collaborative process of co-design and construction, emphasizing the active role that new generations can play in promoting a more inclusive urban environment. Located in a symbolic public space in Florence, the installation served as a device for public engagement, opening a broader dialogue on accessibility while offering students, future designers, a formative experience grounded in the culture of inclusion.

This paper retraces the entire process, from concept development to implementation and public dissemination. It presents the initiative as a systemic approach to accessibility in urban open spaces, extending beyond the temporary installation to become part of a broader civic strategy of awareness and participation. Finally, the article discusses the temporary project as a tool for both urban and social transformation, underlining the value of self-construction as a method to promote experiential learning and the active involvement of participants. It also highlights the importance of integrating design techniques, communication strategies, and universal design principles to create more welcoming and inclusive environments for all.

Leonardo Zaffi Università degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Architettura. Architetto, professore associato nel Dipartimento di Architettura dell’Università di Firenze. Si occupa di rigenerazione urbana e del progetto di sistemi temporanei. È responsabile scientifico del Laboratorio di Architettura e Autocostruzione, struttura operativa per la ricerca e la formazione applicata.

Eletta Naldi Università degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Architettura. Architetto, PhD e assegnista di ricerca presso il Dipartimento di Architettura dell’Università di Firenze, si occupa di progettazione socio-sanitaria, accessibilità e rigenerazione delle aree interne, in collaborazione con il Centro Interuniversitario TESIS e il Florence Accessibility Lab.n.

Teaching Accessibility as “Cultural Posture” through

Innovative Pedagogies and Methodologies.

The Case of an Academic Program to

Rethink Campus as Urban Space

Insegnare l’accessibilità come “postura culturale” attraverso pedagogie e metodologie innovative: il caso di un programma universitario per ripensare il campus come spazio urbano

L’accessibilità, intesa come principio, può essere compresa quale “postura culturale” di una società che mira a garantire che ogni individuo – indipendentemente da età, genere, provenienza, o abilità fisiche, sensoriali o cognitive – possa partecipare ed essere incluso nella vita sociale (Besio et al., 2023). Pur essendo spesso associato a elementi infrastrutturali, tale concetto incide in misura crescente sulle dimensioni culturali e politiche, influenzando tutti gli ambienti e le attività umane. Questa comprensione in evoluzione dell’accessibilità ha catalizzato una profonda trasformazione sociale (Arnold e Wade, 2015), generando nuove idee e metodologie per creare contesti innovativi che accolgano la complessità, valorizzino le differenze e rispondano a bisogni specifici, promuovendo così la partecipazione delle persone con disabilità e tutelando i loro diritti e le libertà fondamentali (ONU, 2006). Estendendo le libertà, la partecipazione e le opportunità sociali, l’accessibilità intesa come “postura culturale” si configura come una risorsa collettiva che abbraccia dimensioni educative, sociali, civili, etiche, economiche e ambientali (Galligani, 2010). Essa diventa una conoscenza abilitante (Laurìa, 2014), capace di avviare cambiamenti radicali nelle modalità con cui gli spazi e le pratiche convenzionali sono concepiti e strutturati. In questo contesto trasformativo, il ruolo delle università risulta cruciale nel sensibilizzare e nel diffondere buone pratiche per la creazione di esperienze inclusive. I temi legati all’accessibilità sono sempre più integrati nei corsi accademici – in particolare nell’ambito del web design (Wang, 2012), dell’Human-Computer Interaction (Zhao et al., 2020) e del design (Shinohara et al., 2017). I docenti, spesso, incorporano l’accessibilità nelle lezioni e nei progetti (Lazar et al., 2019). Sebbene vengano raccomandate metodologie come field trip, service learning e interazioni dirette con persone con disabilità (Gellenbeck, 2005), si riscontra una carenza di materiali didattici e di pedagogie efficaci per il coinvolgimento degli studenti (Shinohara et al., 2018). Per colmare tale lacuna negli studi e contrastare la tendenza alla “tecnicizzazione” dell’accessibilità come mero requisito di conformità, il contributo affronta l’insegnamento di questo principio rivoluzionario, esplorando pedagogie e metodologie (design thinking, problem-based learning, laboratori co-progettati, hackathon) che, attraverso un approccio interdisciplinare e partecipativo, favoriscano il dialogo, l’analisi dei bisogni degli utenti, l’individuazione di soluzioni innovative e il coinvolgimento degli stakeholder, comprese le persone con disabilità. A titolo di caso di studio, si presenta un Blended Intensive Program (BIP) Erasmus+ organizzato dall’Università degli studi di Bergamo in collaborazione con altri partner europei, incentrato sull’integrazione dell’accessibilità nella cultura accademica e sulla riconcettualizzazione dell’ambiente universitario – distribuito all’interno del contesto urbano – come spazio cittadino. In conclusione, il contributo propone raccomandazioni per future ricerche e fornisce linee guida rivolte a docenti universitari e sviluppatori per la realizzazione di iniziative efficaci di insegnamento e apprendimento sull’accessibilità, comprensive di materiali, metodi e approcci pedagogici.

Mabel Giraldo Università degli studi di Bergamo. Ricercatrice in Didattica e pedagogia speciale presso l’Università degli Studi di Bergamo. I principali ambiti di ricerca riguardano l’autodeterminazione della persona adulta e anziana con disabilità, con riferimento ai processi di inclusione e partecipazione sociale nei diversi contesti di vita.

Serenella Besio Università degli studi di Bergamo. Professoressa ordinaria di Pedagogia e didattica speciale presso l’Università degli studi di Bergamo. I principali ambiti di ricerca riguardano le tecnologie assistive come strumento di autonomia, il ruolo della Classificazione ICF a supporto del processo inclusivo e il gioco del bambino con disabilità.

Ausili per la mobilità: verso nuove norme per la progettazione inclusiva degli spazi

Mobility Aids:

Towards new Standards for Inclusive Space Design

The Ministerial Decree 236 (Min. LL.PP., 1989) represents the main regulatory reference for the accessibility of public and private spaces, defining the minimum dimensional requirements that built environments must meet to ensure the mobility of individuals with reduced motor capacity. These regulations are based on dimensional standards developed over 35 years ago, primarily referring to manually propelled wheelchairs with fixed measurements (75 cm width, 100 cm length, and 140 cm turning diameter). These values have been used to define minimum maneuvering spaces and sizes of accessible passages, such as doors, corridors, elevators, and outdoor pathways including sidewalks. However, recent decades have witnessed significant technological advances leading to a wide variety of mobility aids with morphological and functional features that differ markedly from those considered in the original regulations. This divergence highlights a critical issue: the characteristics of the designed space are fundamental to enabling or limiting autonomy, as emphasized by the WHO (2001), and outdated dimensional standards risk becoming barriers rather than facilitators of inclusion. This raises important questions regarding the compatibility of contemporary mobility aids with existing accessibility requirements and the consequent implications for architectural, urban, and regulatory design.

This study contributes to this discourse by introducing a dual classification system that categorizes both the accessibility of spaces and the typologies of mobility aids currently available on the market. Based on an extensive review of normative documents, technical standards, product catalogs, and empirical data, three progressive levels of accessibility (A, B, and C) are proposed to reflect a range of spatial requirements, from compliance with the existing minimum standards to accommodating larger, motorized mobility aids such as electric scooters.

Moreover, the research presents a novel application in the form of a “heat map of accessibility,” a digital tool designed to visually represent and integrate these accessibility levels across urban and building scales. This dynamic layer can be embedded within common GPS apps, providing users with real-time information on potential spatial constraints-effectively empowering individuals to plan routes that reflect their personal mobility needs and device specifications.

The proposed classification and digital mapping tool serve as practical instruments to support designers, policymakers, and users in bridging the disconnect between regulatory prescriptions and real-world mobility demands. Ultimately, this contribution aims to inform a regulatory update and promote adaptive design strategies that enhance autonomy and participation for people with reduced mobility, reflecting the realities of current mobility technologies and the complex spatial requirements they entail.

Giovanni Perrucci Università Iuav di Venezia. Assegnista di ricerca allo Iuav di Venezia dal 2022, si occupa di LCA degli edifici e accessibilità. Dottore di ricerca dal 2016, nella sua carriera si è occupato anche di comfort abitativo e soluzioni nature-based per il clima urbano. Autore di diversi articoli scientifici su questi temi.

Dario Trabucco Università Iuav di Venezia. Professore associato in Tecnologia dell’architettura presso lo Iuav di Venezia. Svolge attività di ricerca su accessibilità e sostenibilità ambientale nel mondo delle costruzioni, LCA e individuazione delle soluzioni tecnologiche e costruttive che minimizzano l’energia incorporata negli edifici.

Luca Marzi Università degli Studi di Firenze. Professore associato presso il Dipartimento DIDA. Fa parte del centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca Tesis, “Sistemi e Tecnologie per le Strutture Sanitarie, Sociali e della Formazione”, nell’ambito del quale ha svolto attività di ricerca e formazione sui temi del Design for All e fruibilità dell’ambiente costruito.

Elena Giacomello Università Iuav di Venezia. Dottore di ricerca in Tecnologia dell’architettura, già ricercatore t.d.a) presso l’Università Iuav di Venezia. Ha svolto attività di ricerca inerenti le tecnologie vegetate di involucro, i sistemi di drenaggio urbano sostenibile, l’accessibilità ambientale.

Reclaiming Public Space: Socio-technical

Infrastructures for Inclusive and Accessible Cities. Insights from Three European Research-action Projects

Riconquistare lo spazio pubblico: infrastrutture socio-tecniche per città inclusive e accessibili. L’esperienza di tre progetti di ricerca-azione europei

Le molteplici sfide che le città contemporanee devono affrontare stanno rimodellando il modo in cui le persone vivono gli spazi pubblici. Il cambiamento climatico altera la vivibilità di aree che un tempo costituivano il cuore della vita sociale, mentre le misure di protezione spesso rimangono inaccessibili per le comunità vulnerabili. Allo stesso tempo, le crescenti preoccupazioni per la sicurezza hanno imposto una sorveglianza più rigida, barriere fisiche e un’architettura ostile, limitando l’accessibilità e l’inclusività (Orsetti et al., 2022). In questo contesto, il Civic Digital Twin (CDT) emerge non solo come strumento predittivo, ma come un’infrastruttura socio-tecnica trasformativa, capace di convertire dati in tempo reale in pratiche attuabili e promuovere una governance partecipativa e inclusiva. Il CDT permette alle comunità di rivendicare e dare forma agli spazi pubblici, favorendo un dialogo co-creativo che ridefinisce la relazione tra tecnologia ed esperienza urbana vissuta (Bonetti et al., 2024). Questa prospettiva si allinea con l’idea dello spazio urbano come un processo culturale in continua evoluzione, reinterpretato attraverso una lente collettiva (De Carlo, 2020). Il “diritto alla città” (Lefebvre, 2014) è infatti connesso all’accessibilità e all’usabilità di strade, piazze e spazi interstiziali, aree vitali per l’interazione sociale. L’integrazione dei CDT con processi di co-produzione e co-creazione espande le opportunità di coinvolgimento dei cittadini, rafforzando il potere di azione di gruppi sociali spesso invisibili nel dare forma all’ambiente costruito (Guerra e Ottolini, 2019). L’esperienza di tre progetti di ricerca-azione – ROCK, TALEA e SAFE-CITIES – dimostra che fare leva sulle tecnologie digitali può colmare il divario tra innovazione tecnologica e governance partecipativa. Le tecnologie e piattaforme proposte in questi progetti sono integrabili nei GDC e rappresentano una solida base per la loro architettura dei dati e interfaccia partecipativa, fornendo un utile modello trasversale. ROCK evidenzia il ruolo della mappatura digitale e del monitoraggio partecipativo nell’adattare gli ambienti urbani; TALEA esplora come cellule verdi co-progettate possano mitigare il calore urbano migliorando l’accessibilità; SAFECITIES si concentra sull’equilibrio tra sicurezza e accessibilità attraverso la pianificazione partecipata. Insieme, questi progetti propongono un approccio integrato in cui tecnologia digitale, governance guidata dalla comunità e progettazione urbana orientata all’accessibilità convergono per ridefinire lo spazio pubblico come un dominio inclusivo e resiliente. Unendo dati tecnici e dimensione sociale, i CDT possono sostenere strategie urbane adattive che rispondono dinamicamente alle sfide contemporanee, promuovendo un nuovo paradigma per una vita urbana tecnologicamente potenziata e socialmente integrata.

Danila Longo Alma Mater Studiorum Bologna, DA Dipartimento di Architettura. Architect, PhD, full professor of Architectural technology at the Department of Architecture, University of Bologna. Rossella Roversi Alma Mater Studiorum Bologna, DA Dipartimento di Architettura. Architect, PhD in Architecture and Urban design, Researcher at the Department of Architecture, University of Bologna, II level master’s degree in constructionDigital Twins and AI.

Martino Pietropoli Alma Mater Studiorum Bologna, DA Dipartimento di Architettura. Architect, PhD candidate in City Digital Twins for City Governance and Citizen Participation at the Department of Architecture, University of Bologna.

Dall’ordinario all’emergenza: gli spazi aperti come luogo di prima accoglienza

Urban Open Spaces in Times of Crisis: from Everyday Public Use to Population Assembly Areas in Emergency

The multidimensional nature of public space – especially when designated as temporary gathering areas for the population during emergencies – requires an interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and participatory approach to urban planning.

Accessibility must be considered through the lens of inclusive safety, ensuring that spaces are fully usable and that individuals are empowered to respond autonomously to a variety of unexpected events, from human-induced risks to natural disasters. This complexity is incompatible with universal, onesize-fits-all emergency solutions, such as modular temporary shelters, which are inherently limited and reversible.

In most cases, gathering areas are located within the urban fabric and must therefore adapt to diverse territorial and spatial constraints. This represents a valuable opportunity to rethink urban open spaces as multifunctional environments: welcoming in everyday life as public squares, gardens, or equipped parks, and responsive to different types of emergencies when needed. These areas can serve as places of comfort during bioclimatic stress and as reception points during natural or human-made crises.

The experience of the Civil Protection Plan in Ascoli Piceno illustrates how an inclusive approach – applied to both planning and implementation – can expose structural weaknesses in current emergency planning strategies. These strategies must go beyond procedural checklists and involve urgent rethinking of roads and public spaces across cities, towns, and rural villages. Inadequate infrastructure should not be what turns an incident into a disaster.

Functional resilience can be the key. Developing context-sensitive models that guide tailored solutions for specific territories, environments, and scenarios can provide municipalities, professionals, and citizens with practical tools to co-create resilient communities. In this vision, the urban space becomes not only a social and environmental resource but also an emergency facilitator.

Elisabetta Schiavone Architetta PhD, socia fondatrice della start up Soluzioni Emergenti.Esperta nelle tematiche di accessibilità, sicurezza inclusiva, gestione inclusiva delle emergenze e PEBA. Consulente e formatrice è autrice di contributi scientifici sulle tematiche di riferimento.

Laura Cennini Architetta e socia fondatrice della start up Soluzioni Emergenti è impegnata in attività di consulenza e formazione sui temi di accessibilità e inclusione in ambito urbano, turistico e nei luoghi della cultura

PEOPLE PERSONE

Cristiana Cellucci

The section titled People addresses what the poet Adrienne Rich (1986, p. 211) defines as “the most immediate geography”: the body and everyday life. The focus is on the body, in its countless specificities and connotations, with the intent not to transcend it, but rather to reaffirm its presence and rights within the design of the “physical body of the city”. Although the universal concept of “person” recognises the value of every individual’s uniqueness (Baratella, 2009), this very singularity can lead to exclusion and marginalisation. This happens to people with disabilities, people of foreign origin, transgender people, women, and anyone who finds themselves living in spaces designed exclusively for able-bodied people or those who conform to the predominant genders.

“The physical space gives orders to bodies” through a system of written and unwritten rules (Lefebvre, 1976, p. 151). This system is evident in hostile architecture installations, such as the removal of fountains and benches, and the creation of physical, psychological and social barriers, as well as in explicit political actions, such as urban DASPO (prohibition to access certain areas) orders against the homeless. As Wolf Bukowski (2019) describes in La buona educazione degli oppressi: piccola storia del decoro, these devices confine, isolate and separate, profoundly conditioning behaviours and lifestyles. They determine which neighbourhoods are frequented and the hours during which it is safe to circulate, effectively rendering urban open spaces fully accessible only to a select few. In response to these forms of exclusion, Leslie Kern (2024) calls for self-reflection on one’s relationship with physical space. She states: “While I cannot change most of the characteristics that define me, I can become aware of what my body signifies” and consequently avoid asserting the legitimacy of one’s own body by claiming “claim all urban spaces for my own”.

Translating a reading of diverse experiences and identities to the urban level and considering how one’s own presence modifies space is the essential first step towards identifying suppressed needs and the active dynamics of exclusion. The aim is to construct the idea of a truly inclusive city.

The research, projects, and essays collected in this section narrate how the right to fully inhabit space – social and physical – must confront the deconstruction of “normality”. These contributions celebrate the diversity of experiences that “physical bodies” and “collective bodies” bring to the city, each with their own unique characteristics. They also recognise that forms of oppression (e.g. disability, gender and ethnicity) intersect to create unique experiences of discrimination (structural and representational) that society and urban design projects must address.

Bibliographic references

Baratella, P. (2009). Il diritto delle persone con disabilità. Dalla convenzione ONU alle buone pratiche. Trento: Erickson.

Bukowski, W. (2019). La buona educazione degli oppressi: piccola storia del decoro. Roma: Edizioni Alegre. Kern, L. (2024). La città femminista. La lotta per lo spazio in un mondo disegnato da uomini (ed. or. Feminist city: claiming space in a man-made world, Verso, London and New York, 2020). Roma: Treccani. Lefevre, H. (1970). Il diritto alla città (ed. or. Le droit à la ville, éditions Anthropos, Paris, 1968). Padova: Marsilio. Rich, A. (1986). Notes Towards a Politics of Location. In Rich, A. (eds.), Blood, Bread, and Poetry: Selected Prose 1979-1985, pp. 210–231. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

Lo spazio non è neutrale. Una riflessione sulla rappresentazione grafica della disabilità di genere

Space is not Neutral. A Reflection on the Graphic Representation of Gender Disability

In a context of increasing social and cultural awareness regarding the role of architecture in promoting inclusive accessibility – both in new construction and in the conservation of cultural heritage – this paper offers a critical reflection on different forms of discrimination embedded in design practices and visual representation. These often-overlooked dimensions contribute to perpetuating exclusionary dynamics, raising significant questions for academic research in architecture.

According to Article 2 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the contextual definition of ‘discrimination’, the presence of environmental barriers constitutes a form of discrimination. This condition is further exacerbated when intersecting with other identity dimensions, such as gender. In fact, women with disabilities experience a dual and often invisible marginalisation that is reflected both in the material configuration of space and in the symbolic codes that structure it.

A striking example lies in architectural signage: when referring to disability, it typically employs genderneutral figures or, implicitly, male-coded representations, aligning with a broader androcentric logic that dominates pictographic systems. This apparent neutrality conceals meaningful differences, inadvertently supporting normative visions that exclude female subjectivity and nonconforming identities.

This issue is further illustrated in the design of public restrooms, where accessible facilities are often unisex and not differentiated by gender. While intended as inclusive, such solutions can fail to respect individuals’ gender identity and do not adequately address the diversity of user needs.

In this context, Feminist Disability Studies have only recently developed a critique of the Social Model of Disability, highlighting its tendency to prioritise environmental factors over individual characteristics. The integration of an intersectional perspective into inclusive design thus emerges as a necessary theoretical and operational shift.

This paper focuses on pictographic language as a cultural device capable of conveying worldviews, showing how it consistently privileges male or neutral representations of disability. These seemingly technical choices have significant symbolic and spatial implications, contributing to hierarchies of visibility and belonging. In light of contemporary activism, which calls for a collective engagement with the politics of inclusion, it becomes urgent to reconsider design paradigms in ways that meaningfully reflect the complexity of human subjectivities.

Cristiana Cellucci Università Iuav di Venezia, DCP. Professoressa associata di Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura, si occupa di fattore umano come parte integrante della progettazione e di implementazione dei requisiti di flessibilità, inclusività e benessere attraverso soluzioni che migliorano le interazioni degli utenti con luoghi, attrezzature e tecnologie.

Rosaria Revellini Università Iuav di Venezia, DCP. Assegnista di ricerca postdoc in Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura, si occupa di temi legati all’accessibilità ambientale con particolare attenzione alle age-friendly cities and communities. È vicedirettrice della rivista scientifica OFFICINA*.

Valeria Tatano Università Iuav di Venezia, DCP. Professoressa ordinaria di Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura, si occupa di progettazione inclusiva e di tecnologie innovative nel rapporto tra architettura e tecnica, in particolare per quanto riguarda i temi del progetto consapevole.

Rethinking Public Space: Strategies for Inclusive and Climate-Resilient Cities

Ripensare lo spazio pubblico: strategie per città inclusive e climaticamente resilienti

Gli spazi pubblici svolgono un ruolo cruciale nelle dinamiche sociali, culturali ed ambientali delle città, costituendo la spina dorsale dell’interazione comunitaria e del benessere sociale. Tuttavia, essi spesso non riescono a rispondere adeguatamente alle esigenze di comunità sempre più diversificate, specialmente di fronte all’acuirsi degli impatti del cambiamento climatico e all’aumento delle disuguaglianze sociali, rivelando i limiti dei modelli tradizionali di progettazione degli spazi pubblici. Questo saggio analizza strategie innovative per ripensare gli spazi pubblici al fine di migliorarne l’inclusività e la resilienza climatica, attraverso studi di caso e approcci progettuali partecipativi. Viene esplorato come gli spazi urbani possano essere trasformati per rispondere alle sfide intersezionali che colpiscono i gruppi vulnerabili, includendo questioni legate al genere, alla disabilità, all’etnia e alla condizione socio-economica, mediante l’integrazione di prospettive intersezionali.

La ricerca si concentra su due dimensioni principali: da un lato, la progettazione di spazi urbani inclusivi che promuovano l’autonomia e il benessere di tutti gli individui; dall’altro, l’integrazione di soluzioni resilienti ai cambiamenti climatici per garantire la fruibilità degli spazi pubblici di fronte alle sfide ambientali emergenti. Il saggio illustra come gli spazi pubblici possano essere ripensati come ambienti inclusivi, sostenibili e resilienti, capaci di migliorare il benessere delle comunità urbane diversificate.

I risultati evidenziano la necessità di un approccio intersezionale alla progettazione urbana, che garantisca spazi pubblici non solo fisicamente accessibili, ma anche socialmente inclusivi e ambientalmente sostenibili. In definitiva, questo contributo si inserisce nel dibattito globale sulla costruzione di città più eque, resilienti e in grado di rispondere ai bisogni di tutti i cittadini.

Farah Lyna Chaib University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. PhD candidate exploring inter-scale solutions for climate-resilient urban public spaces, with a focus on technological innovation and adaptive design in Northern and Central Europe.

Caterina Frettoloso University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. Architect, PhD, and Associate professor. Her research activities are related to the qualification of settlement and environmental systems, with a focus on reusing urban open spaces and redeveloping sensitive contexts. She is researching “connectivity” to urban open space networks and the “circular” approach to the built environment for more resilient cities.

Camminare con la demenza: mappature partecipate per la costruzione di ambienti urbani inclusivi

Walking with Dementia: Participatory Mapping for the Creation of Inclusive Urban Environments

“Walking with Dementia” is an experimental project developed by Collettivo Architutti (architect Dallaserra, PhD architect Porro, and urban planner Viganò) within the framework of the “Dementia-Friendly Community” initiative, promoted by Comunità di Valle della Valle dei Laghi (Province of Trento, Italy).

The project investigates how individuals with dementia perceive and navigate urban environments. Its objective is to identify spatial, architectural, and perceptual factors that either facilitate or hinder safe, comfortable wayfinding. Through collaborative exploration with the local community, the project reevaluates village spaces and assesses their inclusiveness and hospitality for people with cognitive impairments.

The initiative was structured in three main phases:

- Identification of territorial, architectural, and urban furniture that support or obstruct the experience of individuals with dementia;

- Development of a set of indicators designed to simulate the urban experience from the perspective of people living with dementia;

- Application and testing of these indicators through participatory mapping sessions.

The data set – developed in collaboration with a team of neuropsychologists from the residential care facility in Cavedine – took into account various factors, including morphological features, circulation network, distribution and recognizability of open spaces, presence of identity elements, functional diversity, availability of services, and sensory stimuli. These elements contribute to or hinder individuals’ ability to orient themselves, move independently and safely, and ultimately exercise their right to the city.

The project has a dual purpose: to provide an evaluation of urban contexts in terms of dementia-friendliness, and to foster greater community awareness and engagement, essential for achieving the goals of the “Dementia-Friendly Community” certification.

Participatory mapping was conducted in eleven villages across the area, involving approximately 150 local residents. These activities aimed to raise awareness of dementia -an increasingly prevalent condition- by encouraging participants to reframe their perception of the built environment and recognize their potential role in fostering inclusive, supportive communities.

Local administrators also took part in several mapping sessions and were later invited to translate the project’s findings into practical urban strategies, reinforcing their role as key stakeholders in the design and governance of public space.

Chiara Dallaserra Collettivo Architutti, CERPA Italia ETS. Architetta esperta in progettazione inclusiva urbana e architettonica e sulla ricerca di soluzioni che assicurino la fruibilità e autonoma degli spazi. Socia di CERPA Italia ETS e membro del collettivo Architutti, impegnato in ricerca, formazione, consulenza e pianificazione su questi temi.

Livia Porro Collettivo Architutti, CERPA Italia ETS. Architetta PhD, si occupa di progettazione universale e benessere ambientale, con attenzione alle esigenze spaziali delle persone neurodivergenti. È socia del CERPA Italia ETS e membro del collettivo Architutti, impegnato in ricerca, formazione, consulenza e pianificazione su questi temi.

Anna Viganò Collettivo Architutti. Pianificatrice del territorio e urbanista, si occupa di progettazione dello spazio urbano e partecipazione principalmente come membro del Collettivo Architutti. È socia del CERPA

Italia ETS e della Sezione Trentino dell’Istituto Nazionale di Urbanistica – INU.

Using Virtual Reality to Explore Older Adults’ Preferences for Green Streets: Design Guidelines

Utilizzo

della

Realtà Virtuale per esplorare le preferenze degli anziani per le strade verdi: linee guida di progettazione

Con l’invecchiamento della popolazione, la progettazione degli spazi pubblici deve rispondere ai bisogni degli anziani per prevenire l’esclusione sociale causata da barriere architettoniche. Tuttavia, l’ambiente costruito esistente rimane ancora insufficientemente accessibile, in particolare nella progettazione delle “green streets”, che integrano modalità di mobilità attiva come biciclette e monopattini insieme alla vegetazione. La progettazione di questi spazi spesso trascura le esigenze dei pedoni anziani. Per creare spazi pubblici realmente inclusivi, è essenziale promuovere il coinvolgimento diretto degli anziani nei processi decisionali locali relativi alla loro progettazione.

L’obiettivo principale della ricerca è studiare gli effetti della progettazione delle green streets urbane sulla mobilità, sull’integrazione sociale e sull’invecchiamento. Inoltre, intendiamo integrare metodologie all’avanguardia, come le tecnologie di realtà virtuale (VR) e le misurazioni fisiologiche, per simulare sperimentalmente specifici ambienti stradali e valutare le percezioni naturali degli anziani rispetto a tali spazi.

Il progetto si sviluppa in tre fasi. La fase 1 si concentra sull’analisi del concetto di green streets e della loro integrazione nei piani verdi della città di Lisbona da una prospettiva architettonica. Attraverso osservazioni e investigazioni sceintifiche, la fase 2 esamina la percezione e l’uso delle green streets da parte degli anziani. Nella fase 3, testiamo l’impatto di questi ambienti sulla “camminabilità”, sull’integrazione sociale e sui modelli di invecchiamento utilizzando la VR. L’utilizzo di un ambiente VR ci consente di simulare contesti “verdi” e “non verdi” e di testare gli effetti causali di caratteristiche specifiche della strada sia su esiti soggettivi sia su esiti oggettivi. Questo articolo descrive il sistema tecnologico impiegato per l’esperimento in VR, inclusi la progettazione dell’ambiente immersivo e i protocolli per la raccolta dei dati biometrici. È stato adottata una progettazione sperimentale between-subjects con quattro parametri. I partecipanti vivono una delle quattro configurazioni stradali, in cui manipoliamo le caratteristiche delle green streets secondo un progetto fattoriale 2 (presenza o assenza di vegetazione) x 2 (pista ciclabile congiunta o separata). Abbiamo seguito approcci all’avanguardia per progettare l’ambiente VR adatto agli anziani e per raccogliere dati oggettivi. Le misure oggettive includono segnali biometrici, come la variabilità della frequenza cardiaca e il tracciamento dello sguardo e delle fissazioni, che possono essere correlati agli stati di attivazione e attenzione negli anziani. Le percezioni soggettive vengono valutate tramite un questionario. La definizione delle quattro simulazioni stradali in VR considera diversi aspetti chiave, qui discussi, come la presenza e il realismo della luce naturale, della vegetazione, del suono, delle persone virtuali (agenti), degli oggetti e degli edifici. Inoltre, viene effettuata un’analisi critica delle strategie progettuali, attingendo alla letteratura esistente e agli obiettivi specifici del nostro studio.

Sara Eloy University of Antwerp. Associate Professor of Interior Architecture, Faculty of Design Sciences.

Sibila Marques Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), CIS-Iscte. Assistant Professor of Psychology at ISCTE-IUL and a researcher at CIS-IUL.

André Samora-Arvela Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), STAR-Iscte. Researcher with a PhD in Climate Change and Sustainable Development Policies.

Mariana Montalvão e Silva Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), CIS-Iscte. Researcher with a Master in Psychology.

Nuno Pereira da Silva Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), ISTAR-Iscte. PhD in Architecture and researcher.

Emerson Do Bú Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), CIS-Iscte. PhD in social psychology.

Francisco Melo Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), ISTAR-Iscte. Architecture student at Universida de Lusíada.

Miguel Sales Dias Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), ISTAR-Iscte. Full Professor at Instituto Universitário de Lisboa and Deputy Director of ISTAR-Iscte.

Ageing in Place e Inclusive Design. Nuove domande di città per una società che invecchia

Ageing in Place and Inclusive Design. New City Demands for an Ageing Society

This contribution presents the main findings of the Inclusive AGEing in place (IN-AGE) research project, which explores the role of the spatial dimension in the quality of life of frail elderly people ageing at home. Three fundamental assumptions are considered in the research:

- the ageing process entails increasing and diversified levels of frailty that almost entirely cover the spectrum of physical and cognitive disabilities;

- these frailties affect the usability of urban space, condition functions, activities and social relations, and lead to processes of isolation among the elderly;

- the conditions of the spatial context (at three scales: housing, building, and neighbourhood) become decisive in the subjective perception of one’s quality of life.

Based on these assumptions, the fundamental objective of the research was to empirically investigate the condition of frail elderly people ageing at home through three main actions (Ranci et al., 2023). The first aimed to build a critical-conceptual framework on universal accessibility, and on the situations and variables affecting the quality of life and social isolation of frail elderly people ageing at home (Herbes et al., 2017). The second involved an in-depth survey, conducted through semi-structured interviews with 120 frail and socially isolated elderly people in three Italian regions (Lombardy, Marche, and Calabria) focusing on the material and social constraints of the housing context at the three scales (housing, building, city); the third identified and compared, at the European level, innovative policy practices in support of elderly people ageing at home.

In this article, we will trace the main trajectories of the scientific debate on the relationship between spatial context, inclusive design and ageing in place. We will comment on the results of the qualitativequantitative survey carried out in the field, highlighting the perception of urban spaces expressed by elderly participants and the critical issues emerging in terms of barriers to autonomy in public space. Finally, we will propose some lines of action aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of the built environment on quality of life and the risks of social isolation.

Antonella Sarlo Università Mediterranea Reggio Calabria. Professoressa associata di Urbanistica presso il Dipartimento Architettura e Design – Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, si occupa di progetti innovativi di rigenerazione urbana e coesione sociale, ponendo particolare attenzione ai temi della prossimità e dell’accessibilità universale.

Francesco Bagnato Università Mediterranea Reggio Calabria. Professore associato di Tecnologia dell’architettura presso il Dipartimento Architettura e Design – Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, si occupa di inclusive design ed è responsabile del laboratorio Rhegium Accessibility Lab che sviluppa ricerche sui temi dell’accessibilità universale.

Smart-inclusive Urbanery. Salute e integrazione digitale nella progettazione urbana in ottica Lifecourse

Smart-inclusive Urbanery. Health and Digital Integration in the

Urban Design from a Lifecourse Perspective

The global phenomenon of population ageing presents an increasingly pressing challenge for the design of urban environments that foster active and healthy ageing. In response, the concept of ageing in place has gained prominence, advocating for the right of individuals to grow old within their own homes and communities, while promoting autonomy, independence, and a high quality of life. A growing body of research has demonstrated the significant impact of public space design on individuals’ physical and psychological well-being, with particular relevance for older adults. Within this framework, the Internet of Things (IoT) plays a crucial role in the management of public spaces, offering innovative tools for health monitoring and enhanced safety for older adults. Since the 1990s, the smart city paradigm has emerged as a key model for urban development, grounded in the integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) to improveurban functionality and sustainability. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), smart cities are characterised by their ability to optimise urban systems by leveraging IoT and other digital infrastructures to deliver data-driven, citizen-centric solutions. The incorporation of smart technologies into urban environments aligns with this paradigm, enabling real-time monitoring of public spaces, participatory assessment of services through citizen engagement, and the deployment of advanced digital tools such as IoT, crowdsourcing platforms, and artificial intelligence. Nevertheless, the smart city concept has not been without criticism. Some scholars and observers argue that it is often used as a promotional label, lacking substantive innovation. Others have raised ethical concerns because smart technologies are also perceived as instruments of mass surveillance and social control. These critical issues highlight the need for urban planning that carefully balances the deployment of technologies with the protection of citizens’ rights and privacy, while simultaneously prioritising inclusivity, transparency, and citizen well-being, particularly for vulnerable groups such as older adults.

This paper examines the notion of the smart public space through the lens of social inclusion, with a specific focus on older populations, adopting a lifecourse perspective. Drawing on a comprehensive review of the existing literature and an analysis of selected case studies, this paper seeks to identify the most relevant and impactful technologies currently being implemented in urban contexts, and to evaluate their role in supporting agefriendly, inclusive, and resilient environments.

Mariangela Perillo Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II. Architetto, PhD student in Tecnologia dell’architettura presso il Dipartimento di Architettura dell’Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II.

Strategie climate-responsive per una didattica open-air negli spazi scolastici della prima infanzia

Climate-responsive Strategies for Open-air Learning in Early Childhood Educational Spaces

In recent years, social, cultural and economic transformation, combined with global polycrises and the recent health crisis, have led to significant changes in educational approaches targeting the 0–36 month age group. At the same time, climate change and the intensification of the urban heat island (UHI) effect are increasingly compromising the usability of outdoor school spaces, which are recognized as a fundamental resource for more dynamic and inclusive education. In response to these challenges, there is a growing need to rethink educational environments and redevelop outdoor spaces by promoting innovative solutions that ensure children’s physical and psychological well-being while supporting alternative open-air learning models.

The objective of this research was to identify climate-responsive design strategies that, through the application of passive cooling solutions, such as vegetation for natural shading, nature-based solutions, shading structures and evaporative systems, can significantly improve the outdoor thermal comfort of early childhood educational spaces, enhancing their usability even under adverse climatic conditions.

The adopted methodology followed a deductive, interdisciplinary approach, integrating principles from architecture, environmental sciences and developmental psychology. This was achieved through a critical review of the literature and the analysis of historical experiments. Indeed, as early as the 20th century, in response to the spread of tuberculosis, open-air schools represented an effective pedagogical and architectural innovation, allowing lessons to be held outdoors and radically transforming the educational organization. These early experiences have provided valuable insights for redefining current school typologies and for establishing new parameters and design criteria for outdoor learning environments.

As part of the research, bioclimatic pavilion prototypes were developed, and passive cooling systems were tested in early childhood educational settings in the city of Rome. These were analyzed through instrumental measurements and perceptual surveys aimed at assessing microclimatic conditions and the quality of children’s thermal experiences.

The collected data confirmed that passive climatic design and the use of low environmental impact technologies are effective strategies for adapting educational spaces to current climate challenges, contributing to a significant reduction in perceived temperatures and enhancing the quality of outdoor learning. Furthermore, the study highlighted that upgrading outdoor school environments not only ensures greater thermal comfort but also supports children’s psychophysical development in synergy with the surrounding ecosystem.

Andrea Canducci Sapienza Università di Roma. Architetto e assegnista di ricerca in Progettazione tecnologica ambientale. Collabora a progetti di ricerca nazionali su strategie di rigenerazione.

Alessandra Battisti Sapienza Università di Roma. Architetta e professoressa ordinaria di Progettazione tecnologica ambientale. Ha diretto corsi di laurea e laboratori. È direttrice del Master in Environmental technological design. Consulente e membro di comitati scientifici nazionali e internazionali.

Giovanni Dall’Olio Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli. Psicologo in area materno infantile UOS di psicologia clinica e ricercatore presso il Polo nazionale ipovisione e riabilitazione visiva del Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli.

Michele Zinzi ENEA. Ingegnere civile e dottore di ricerca in energetica. Ricercatore ENEA. Si occupa di tecnologie per gli edifici, smart city, isola di calore e mitigazione climatica. Rappresentante nazionale IEA e responsabile scientifico di progetti nazionali e internazionali.

Accessibility Assessment for High Schools: an Integrated Approach in the Metropolitan City of Naples

Valutare l’accessibilità alle scuole superiori: approccio integrato nella Città

Metropolitana di Napoli

L’accessibilità degli istituti per l’istruzione superiore è un elemento centrale della pianificazione urbana contemporanea, in particolare nei contesti metropolitani dove le scuole diventano catalizzatori di processi di rigenerazione urbana più ampi. Questo tema ha acquisito rilevanza negli Stati Uniti dopo l’Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) del 1990, che ha stabilito standard rigorosi per l’accessibilità degli edifici pubblici, influenzando successivamente le normative internazionali. La ricerca punta a integrare gli interventi di miglioramento dell’accessibilità in strategie complessive di riqualificazione sostenibile degli edifici scolastici, superando l’approccio frammentario tipico degli adempimenti normativi verso un approccio trasformativo urbano sistemico. Il lavoro sviluppa un sistema per la prioritizzazione degli interventi nei plessi scolastici della Città Metropolitana di Napoli per massimizzare gli impatti intersettoriali, ottimizzando al contempo le risorse economiche. In tale contesto, l’accessibilità è una leva strategica per la riqualificazione sostenibile complessiva degli edifici scolastici. L’approccio integrato analizza il percorso completo di accesso dalla strada pubblica all’ingresso dell’edificio scolastico, suddiviso in sette sezioni critiche, basate sulle barriere identificate dal Government Accountability Office statunitense. Per ogni sezione, il framework sviluppato individua dispositivi materiali (infrastrutture fisiche) e immateriali (sistemi, procedure, servizi), valutandone la compatibilità con interventi per la sicurezza, efficienza energetica, digitalizzazione e sostenibilità. L’analisi rivela significative potenzialità per l’integrazione di interventi di accessibilità in strategie di riqualificazione multiscopo. La mappatura degli Enti effettuata identifica dunque le opportunità di collaborazione tra enti e l’integrazione delle professionalità per la definizione di piani di investimento condivisi e processi coordinati di implementazione a scala urbana, dei trasporti e dell’edificio. Gli stakeholder (associazioni, famiglie, studenti, università) influenzano tutti gli ambiti, apportando innovazione nei processi, creando consenso sociale, garantendo responsabilità e trasparenza del sistema. L’approccio progettuale flessibile delineato in questo studio mira ad integrare molteplici variabili nella valutazione delle priorità di intervento per massimizzare i benefici per tutte le categorie di utenti, considerandone le esigenze specifiche. Il progetto dell’accessibilità, quando integrato strategicamente con altre dimensioni di sostenibilità, rappresenta una leva per la trasformazione urbana complessiva, fornendo un modello replicabile per le amministrazioni metropolitane.

Roberto Bosco University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. Architect, is a PhD candidate in Environment, Design and Innovation at University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. Carries out research activities mainly in the field of environmental design in relation to the redevelopment of urban open spaces and sustainable technological design. Louise Anna Mozingo University of California at Berkeley, USA. Professor of the Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning.Member of the Faculty of Urban Design of the College of Environmental Design and Affiliate Faculty in American Studies program of the College of Letters and Sciences, at the University of California, Berkeley. Renata Valente University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. Associate professor in Technological and Environmental Design at the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, former visiting scholar at the College of Environmental Design, University of California, Berkeley (USA), research on environmental design issues.

Esperimenti di piazze scolastiche per il benessere collettivo: il progetto partecipativo di

Chieri

Testing School Plazas for Community Wellbeing: a Participatory Project in Chieri

This article explores the “Testing School Plazas” project in the City of Chieri (Turin) as an emblematic case study of urban regeneration geared toward citizens’ mental and physical well-being and the promotion of independent living.

Drawing inspiration from the book Streets for People by Bernard Rudofsky, this article analyzes how participatory transformation of school front spaces can generate significant impacts on the mental and physical health of the community.

Through the “Planning for Real” methodology and intensive participation of schools, residents and institutions, the project redefined school areas not only as places to walk/ride through but as real neighborhood squares that are safe, accessible and vibrant. It shows how such interventions, going beyond mere environmental sustainability, promote spontaneous physical activity, social interaction, a sense of belonging and autonomy, especially for children and the elderly, helping to create urban “environments” that nurture the general well-being of its inhabitants, in line with a people-centered vision of the city (Gehl, 2012).

This project also fits into Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) Ecological Theory, interpreting the school plaza as a key microsystem and a facilitator of the mesosystem that impacts human development.

Andrés Maidana Legal LAQUP (IT), ISUBA Buenos Aires (AR). Architetto urbanista, professore di pianificazione urbana. Ricercatore presso l’Istituto Superiore di Urbanistica, territorio e ambiente. Il suo campo di ricerca è incentrato sulle politiche pubbliche urbane con un focus sulla rigenerazione delle aree postindustriali e sull’ecologia urbana.

Mario Bellinzona LAQUP (IT). Mediatore linguistico e territoriale con una specializzazione in sviluppo urbano sostenibile e azione locale partecipata. Consulente della UK Planning for Real Unit. Progetta e gestisce processi partecipativi con tavoli multiattoriali sul rapporto fra mobilità e spazio pubblico.

Chiara Viano LAQUP (IT). Architetto tutor, progettista e facilitatrice di processi partecipativi volti alla riqualificazione di spazi pubblici con il coinvolgimento di EELL e comunità. Progettista e formatrice in corsi per amministratori, tecnici comunali e docenti, coordinatrice di percorsi educativi per le scuole.

Elisa Cocimano LAQUP (IT). Architetto tutor, facilitatrice di processi partecipativi legati a interventi di microrigenerazione di spazi pubblici (cortili e piazze scolastiche, spazi della mobilità sostenibile). Progettista e facilitatrice di percorsi formativi e di co-progettazione con gli enti locali e con le scuole.

Ingiustizie socio-spaziali e Comunità Sorda, una narrazione filmica condivisa

Socio-Spatial Injustices and the Deaf Community: Toward a Shared Filmic

Narrative

Although 5% of the global population experiences hearing-related issues during their lifetime – and among them approximately 70 million individuals are defined as “Deaf” – deafness is still widely regarded as an invisible disability. This invisibility is due both to the scarcity of outwardly visible signs and to the widespread assumption that Deaf individuals can lead full lives without any particular needs –architectural or socio-cultural. Deaf individuals encounter significant challenges in urban environments due to inadequate spatial and technological conditions, stemming from policies that have historically neglected their needs. This oversight has limited their participation and generated socio-spatial injustices, thereby hindering the enjoyment of fundamental rights and equitable well-being.

Within the framework of this research, the stakeholders are the Deaf persons – those who, through shared socio-cultural belonging, identify with a common history, have developed a collective identity, and primarily or exclusively use sign language. Owing to its expressive modality and the specific spatial requirements it entails, sign language plays a decisive role in shaping space from a Deaf-centred perspective, especially in relation to shared environments.

The objective of the research was to highlight the challenges related to the liveability of urban spaces in the city of Cagliari, with particular attention to public squares, streets, and areas of social interaction. This analysis was carried out in collaboration with members of the local Deaf Community and employed film as a tool both for analysis and for representing reality. This was undertaken through a researchaction approach, characterised by the active involvement of the researcher in fieldwork and in direct engagement with the community.

The fieldwork, conducted through a qualitative, community-based methodology, began with open-dialogue activities regarding perceptions of some of the city’s most significant spaces in terms of accessibility and ease of navigation. This process led to the development of a replicable model: a narrative format in which a guiding “voice” accompanies the viewer through the practical challenges of urban use, offering a deeply insider perspective that authentically reflects the viewpoint of the Deaf Community.

The field-study underscored the undeniable necessity of directly involving stakeholders in both spatial planning and research activities. It highlighted the essential importance of understanding the historicalcultural dynamics and the language of the Deaf Community in order to appropriately study and design environments for this group. Ultimately, the analysis revealed that the relevant concerns extend beyond spatial layout and configuration to encompass equally critical aspects such as lighting and acoustics –elements that are fundamental for envisioning and designing spaces that are genuinely accessible and responsive to the needs of Deaf individuals.

Marina Fanari Università degli Studi di Cagliari. Dottoressa in Architettura dell’Università di Cagliari. Con la sua ricerca investiga le difficoltà di accessibilità e interazione della comunità Sorda negli spazi pubblici urbani. Dal 2022 fa parte dell’Accessibility Lab Cagliari.

Neuro-inclusive cities: strategie di progettazione per l’accessibilità cognitiva e

sensoriale

Neuro-inclusive Cities: Design Strategies for Cognitive and Sensorial Accessibility

Morena Barilà Università degli studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. Architetto e dottoranda in Disegno industriale.

Erminia Attaianese Università degli studi di Napoli Federico II. Professoressa di Tecnologia dell’architettura, ergonomia applicata e User centered design, coordinatore del Laboratorio di Ergonomia applicata e sperimentale.

The urban built environment represents a complex living scenario, characterized by a variety of spaces, pathways, and functions, as well as a continuous flow of different sensory stimuli through which individuals navigate and interact. The first empirical studies on human experience related to cognitive, sensory, and perceptual aspects of urban space appear in the Kevin Lynch’s work The Image of the City (1960). His pioneering approach highlights the significance of psychological awareness in the experience of urban contexts, which relies on cognitive processes involving attention, memory, spatial orientation, navigation, and landmark recognition. In this regard, the effectiveness of the built environment lies in its capacity to be perceived, interpreted, and retained (Karakas and Yildiz, 2020). Urban areas are thus configured as heterogeneous and multifaceted environments, where everyday activities and interpersonal relationships contribute to shaping the identity of places. In turn, these places – through their material, spatial, and functional characteristics – play a critical role in defining environmental conditions that impact individual quality of life. However, equal access to and full usability of urban spaces are still not ensured for all citizens (Sarraf, 2024). Different sensory inputs, complex spatial morphologies, and heterogeneous functions may become invisible barriers for neurodivergent individuals. In according with the WHO’s definition of disability – understood as a condition that may affect anyone temporarily or permanently in terms of physical, cognitive, or sensory abilities (WHO, 2001) – this study aims to identify sensory and cognitive barriers that affects accessibility and full participation in urban life, thereby limiting autonomy, social interaction, and the right to active community involvement. Through a literature review, with particular focus on autism-friendly design – widely applied in indoor settings – this research seeks to outline design strategies aimed at overcoming the invisible barriers of urban environments and promoting neuroinclusive cities. KEYWORDS:

Architectural Heritage and the Inclusion of the Visually Impaired

Il patrimonio architettonico e l’inclusione degli

ipovedenti

Quando si parla dello sviluppo di una società inclusiva che valorizzi la complessità della vita quotidiana delle persone, non si possono ignorare le importanti limitazioni che devono affrontare le persone con disabilità, in particolare quelle visive, che sono al centro di questa ricerca. Gli ostacoli che le persone con questo tipo di disabilità hanno dovuto affrontare nel corso del tempo hanno impedito loro di accedere e comprendere l’ambiente fisico in cui sono integrate, ma di cui non hanno percezione visiva. L’obiettivo di questa ricerca è quello di contribuire, per quanto possibile, ad attenuare le restrizioni imposte dalla disabilità visiva quando si tratta di conoscere e comprendere il patrimonio architettonico esistente. Ciò si ottiene avvicinandosi a questa conoscenza attraverso la percezione di altri sensi utilizzando tecniche attuali che lo consentono. L’entità della popolazione colpita è riportata nell’ultimo rapporto di World Vision “Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità, 2020”, che indica che almeno 2,2 miliardi di persone in tutto il mondo soffrono di un qualche grado di disabilità visiva o cecità.

La metodologia, applicando i progressi tecnologici come la scansione 3D, la fotogrammetria e la stampa 3D, consente di superare i limiti precedentemente imposti, rendendo più comodo, preciso e veloce il percorso verso un’esperienza immersiva e arricchente per le persone non vedenti. Va sottolineato che il grado di disabilità visiva, soprattutto se totale e/o congenita, rende molto complessi e vari i risultati emersi dalla validazione. Il gruppo di ricerca ha iniziato a lavorare in questo campo nel 2022 con l’obiettivo di misurare l’efficacia delle tecniche utilizzate per avvicinare il patrimonio architettonico.

Fernando Rico Delgado ETSIE Universidad de Sevilla. Profesor Contratado Doctor.

María Rosario Chaza Chimeno ETSIE Universidad de Sevilla. Profesora Titular Universidad. Pablo Díaz Cañete ETSIE Universidad de Sevilla. Profesor Contratado Doctor.

WaVe. Design and ICT for an Inclusive Urban Space

WaVe. Design e ICT per uno spazio urbano inclusivo

Il progetto WaVe (Walking Venice) esplora come il Design e le tecnologie digitali possano migliorare l’accessibilità urbana per le persone ipovedenti. Con la crescente complessità delle città moderne, gli ambienti tradizionali spesso trascurano il design inclusivo, rendendo difficile orientarsi per chi ha problemi alla vista. WaVe affronta questa problematica attraverso un sistema assistivo open source co-progettato, composto da un bastone intelligente con rilevamento RFID, un’applicazione mobile e una piattaforma web collaborativa. Il sistema consente agli utenti ipovedenti di ricevere feedback multisensoriali (vibrotattili e acustici) nelle vicinanze di punti di riferimento urbani contrassegnati, aiutandoli a orientarsi e, al contempo, permettendo di arricchire e condividere informazioni specifiche sul luogo.

Sviluppato utilizzando la metodologia di design Double Diamond, il progetto si basa sul coinvolgimento diretto di utenti ipovedenti durante tutto il processo di progettazione. Esso prevede inoltre un processo di coinvolgimento di più utenti a livello di community, metodi di fabbricazione digitale a basso costo e l’utilizzo di risorse open source orientate alla sostenibilità e alla replicabilità. Sebbene permangano sfide tecnologiche e sociali, come la qualità dei dati, i limiti di portata dell’RFID e alla difficoltà di scalare le soluzioni open source, il progetto intende dimostrare il valore del design inclusivo, dei metodi partecipativi e delle ICT nella trasformazione della mobilità urbana per le persone con disabilità.

Questo articolo offre inoltre una riflessione sui limiti dei modelli di business convenzionali per le tecnologie assistive. L’approccio open source, pur essendo inclusivo ed economico, deve affrontare ostacoli in termini di scalabilità, finanziamenti e sostenibilità economica. Il contributo contiene infine alcune considerazioni specifiche relative allo sviluppo e l’applicazione della soluzione in un contesto reale ricavate dalla realizzazione e sperimentazione del prototipo.

Giovanni Borga Università Iuav di Venezia. Researcher in Design, he works on Interaction Design, Data Visualization, Web Design, monitoring systems with IoT technologies and Geographic Information Systems. Recent research topics focus on digital technologies for Circular Economy and Circular Design.

Maximiliano Ernesto Romero Politecnico di Milano. Associate Professor in Design, he teaches Interaction Design, Physical Computing and social robotics design. He specializes in Human Factors and Ergonomics in User Studies, including UX evaluation. Recent research topics focus on digital technologies for behavioral change in issues related with Climate Change.

Notturna. La percezione della sicurezza nell’uso della città attraverso una prospettiva di genere

At Night. Safety Perception in the

City

Use Through a Gender Perspective

Moving through the city entails engaging with both written and unwritten rules, as ranging from habits and lifestyles to areas deemed acceptable or off-limits, accessible routes, and restricted zones. These constitute boundaries that are more or less permeable depending on individuals’ psychophysical conditions, ethnicity, and gender.

The perception of insecurity can significantly shape urban life, influencing not only the functionality and attractiveness of certain areas but also the everyday experiences of the most vulnerable segments of the population, particularly the elderly, persons with disabilities, and women. For these groups, simply moving from one street to another often involves navigating a series of subtle discontinuities and uncertainties. These micro-signals are interpreted by the body and mind, ultimately affecting one’s time, routines, and sense of self.

Night-time, in particular, becomes a hostile environment for many people. This is largely due to its status as an unregulated and under-planned temporal space, where urban policies – typically designed around private motorised transport and a standardised user profile (an able-bodied, adult, white, middle-class male in paid employment) – fail to account for those who travel differently, for different purposes, and who embody different gendered experiences.

This paper offers a critical review of the literature on urban safety, with a particular focus on women and intersectional forms of discrimination. While environmental factors influencing crime occurrence are increasingly being acknowledged, urban planning and policy still lack comprehensive frameworks that integrate a gender-sensitive perspective. Moreover, most studies on nighttime urban use tend to emphasize neighbourhood revitalization through commercial activities. Although they acknowledge the relevance of gender, they often reduce the night to a recreational domain, thus presenting a partial and insufficient picture.

Transfeminist movements have placed the reclaiming of urban space during evening hours at the core of their activism. Through targeted initiatives such as “urban walks”, these movements assert the right of women and gender-diverse individuals to move freely and autonomously through the city. They advocate for an urban environment where all subjectivities can inhabit space based on their desires and freedoms.

It is therefore imperative that night-time be recognized as a central concern in urban policy and planning, not as a mere interruption of daytime activities, but as a distinct temporal sphere characterized by specific dynamics and needs.

Cristiana Cellucci Università Iuav di Venezia, DCP. Professoressa associata di Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura, si occupa di fattore umano come parte integrante della progettazione e di implementazione dei requisiti di flessibilità, inclusività e benessere attraverso soluzioni che migliorano le interazioni degli utenti con luoghi, attrezzature e tecnologie.

Rosaria Revellini Università Iuav di Venezia, DCP. Assegnista di ricerca postdoc in Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura, si occupa di temi legati all’accessibilità ambientale con particolare attenzione alle age-friendly cities and communities. È vicedirettrice della rivista scientifica OFFICINA*.

Valeria Tatano Università Iuav di Venezia, DCP. Professoressa ordinaria di Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura, si occupa di progettazione inclusiva e di tecnologie innovative nel rapporto tra architettura e tecnica, in particolare per quanto riguarda i temi del progetto consapevole.

URBAN OPEN SPACES SPAZI APERTI IN CITTÀ

Rosaria Revellini

The title of Bernard Rudofsky’s book Streets for People, frequently cited in this volume, recalls another work in which its title establishes a direct relationship between the open spaces of cities and their inhabitants. More precisely, the use of the preposition “for” underlines the need for a human-centred approach to design such spaces. I’m referring to Cities for People, published in 2010 by the Danish urbanist Jan Gehl who offers more precise and mature reflections on what he had previously described as the space of “life between buildings” (Gehl, 1987). These are the everyday places of social interaction, of dialogue and conflict, of inclusion and at times exclusion – spaces that extend beyond the built environment and therefore require particular attention in order to adapt them to the needs of those who inhabit them.

Defining urban open spaces unambiguously is not an easy task. Nevertheless, it is possible to refer to the Carta dello Spazio Pubblico, which broadly defines them as “a continuous, articulated and integrated system that develops from the scale of neighbourhood relations to that of large environmental systems, so as to foster their enjoyment by the entire community and to enhance urban quality” (AA.VV., 2013, sec. III.19). Building on Lefebvre’s notion of “space” (1976), the term evokes a geometric concept that each individual conceives differently as a way of organising the reality in which they live. Moreover, when they are also urban and “open-air”, they directly recall the urbs in its physical sense of the city.

These spaces are therefore to be regarded as belonging to and serving the community par excellence. How they are used and appropriated is directly influenced not only by their physical and social characteristics, but also by increasingly pressing external factors such as climate change and technological challenges. Acting within the urban open spaces thus requires acknowledging their multiple variations, as addressed in the following pages: from the areas surrounding major infrastructures to residual, unused, and often abandoned sites; from streets as fundamental connective elements to squares as places of exchange and social gathering.

The contributions collected in this section share a common objective: to examine research, projects, and reflections on how the psychophysical well-being of city users can be ensured, both by creating physically more welcoming and inclusive places, and by guaranteeing adequate thermal comfort to promote a safer and more widespread use of urban open spaces.

Bibliographic references

AA.VV. (2013). Carta dello Spazio Pubblico (online). Available on: https://www.inu.it/wp-content/uploads/ CARTA_SPAZIO_PUBBLICO.pdf (accessed in September 2025).

Gehl, J. (1987). Life between buildings: using public space (ed. or. Livet mellem husene, Arkitektens Forlag, København, 1971). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

Gehl, J. (2010). Cities for people. Washington: Island Press, 2010.

Lefebvre, H. (1976). La produzione dello spazio (ed. or. La production de l’espace, Anthropos, Paris, 1974). Milano: Miozzi.

Trauma-Informed Approaches to Urban Outdoor Spaces: Pathways to Inclusive Design

Approcci informati sul trauma nella progettazione di spazi urbani all’aperto: per un design inclusivo

Gli spazi pubblici non sono dei luoghi sicuri per chiunque e la progettazione urbana contemporanea è chiamata a tenere conto anche delle esperienze dei gruppi umani marginalizzati o resi vulnerabili (come i sopravvissuti ai traumi) che occupano tali ambienti. Questo articolo attinge agli studi di antropologia urbana e di progettazione inclusiva per sostenere la creazione di spazi urbani all’aperto che tengano conto delle esigenze delle persone che convivono con traumi psicologici. La città non è solamente uno sfondo per la vita sociale, ma agisce attivamente sul benessere psicofisico, sostenendolo o compromettendolo a seconda di come viene progettata, abitata e regolata.

A livello globale, si stima che il 70% degli adulti abbia vissuto almeno un evento traumatico: dimostrando che il tema non riguarda un gruppo demografico ristretto o eccezionale, bensì una popolazione diversificata le cui esigenze spesso non trovano riscontro nella pianificazione territoriale. Tale esclusione non è marginale, ma rivela una questione culturale fondamentale nelle pratiche urbane che si reputano inclusive.

Il capitolo mette in luce le criticità, secondo questa prospettiva, della pianificazione urbana tradizionale, e propone l’introduzione di un approccio trauma-informed nell’applicazione del “Piano per l’Eliminazione delle Barriere Architettoniche” (PEBA). Viene inoltre sollevata la necessità di coinvolgere attivamente la comunità interessata nella progettazione urbana.

In questo contesto, un’urbanistica informata sul trauma offre una riflessione sugli spazi pubblici non solo come ambiti fisici e funzionali, ma come spazi che incorporano valori, simboli e relazioni di potere. Questo approccio tiene conto delle conseguenze del trauma sullo spazio, riconoscendo la città come testimone e partecipante della sofferenza delle persone, nonché del processo di riconciliazione collettiva.

Gabriele Carmelo Rosato Institute of Anthropology, Pontifical Gregorian University. Cultural anthropologist with expertise in safeguarding whit specialisation in the intersection of trauma, space, and identity. He investigates the long-term effects of trauma through an ethnographic lens and how this knowledge can inform architecture and the design of safe spaces.

Le internità dei vuoti. Indagine teoricopercettiva sullo spazio urbano attraverso una pluralità di sguardi

The

Interior of Voids. A TheoreticalPerceptual Investigation of Urban Space

Through a Plurality of Perspectives

Rethinking the void in contemporary times involves a semantic reversal: it is not merely an absence, but rather an enabling device for new spatial practices, a catalyst for social relations, and a platform for experimenting with inclusive and adaptive urban models. Analysing the urban void allows us to decode a spatial model in which the dichotomy between public and private spheres dissolves in favour of greater permeability and social interaction. Investigating the void as an interior means redefining the parameters of urban livability, placing psychophysical well-being and the quality of the experience of public spaces at the center. This approach aims to provide innovative tools for the construction of urban policies capable of responding to the needs of an increasingly diverse society, helping to shape design scenarios geared towards spatial justice and social cohesion. However, if not governed through appropriate design strategies, the void can trigger phenomena of marginalisation and degradation. It can become a device of peripheralisation and exclusion – a caesura rather than a connection – even in central contexts. In the historic center of Naples, a case study taken as a paradigm and field of investigation, the organisation of open spaces is historically linked to a condition of mutual influence between interior and exterior through “architectural devices” such as courtyards, porticoes, stairways, and squares. These are configured as extensions of the living space, becoming settings for shared daily life, spontaneous appropriations, and practices of use.

The study develops through a dual level of analysis – theoretical and perceptual – with the aim of developing a reinterpretation of the city of Naples capable of making the internal dimension of “empty” spaces visible. In a first phase, the theoretical mapping of urban voids is based on a careful identification and classification of unbuilt spaces, structured according to an analytical scale of internality based on the Rotblauplan method developed by Uwe Schröder. This process allows for the definition of a taxonomy of the various typologies of void, each investigated in its specific morphological and functional characteristics.

This survey is complemented by perceptual mapping of interiority, which explores the relationship between individuals and urban spaces through a broad spectrum of perspectives. Interviews, conferences, and surveys involve individuals from diverse social categories, considering variables such as gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and physical and cognitive abilities. Qualitative analysis of the responses will allow us to grasp the multiple ways in which each group defines and attributes meaning to the urban void, revealing the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion inherent in the urban fabric.

Comparing the two mappings allows us to identify overlaps, discrepancies, and new interpretative perspectives, offering new tools for interpreting public space. The research will attempt to propose a representation of the city that transcends the traditional dichotomy between full and empty, proposing a more fluid and relational vision of open space, understood as a device for social and symbolic interaction. This contribution will fuel the debate on urban policies and design practices, suggesting more inclusive strategies for the transformation of the contemporary city.

Francesca Spacagna Università degli studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. Architetto e PhD student in Architettura e Beni culturali. Svolge attività di ricerca sul progetto architettonico e urbano come strumento critico di costruzione e interpretazione dello spazio. Dal 2024 è membro del comitato di redazione della rivista internazionale DAr. Design, Architecture, Research.

Alessia Diana Università degli studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. Architetto, suoi interessi di ricerca riguardano i temi dell’abitare sociale e dei modelli innovativi per l’edilizia scolastica, con un focus su configurazioni spaziali flessibili e inclusive, capaci di rispondere alle esigenze della contemporaneità.

S.P.In.A. Spazi e Persone In Attesa.

Rigenerare gli spazi aperti in tre comuni periurbani della

Città di Torino

S.P.In.A. Spaces and People Awaiting.

Regenerating Open Spaces in Three PeriUrban Municipalities of the City of Turin

The experience described below can be considered the result of a process of knowledge transfer from the university to the world of associationism and social participation. In 2021, a collaboration was established between the LaQUP association in Turin and the Florence Accessibility Lab at the University of Florence, aimed at applying a method for identifying and interpreting residual spaces in three medium-small peri-urban municipalities of the Metropolitan City of Turin (Chieri, Rivalta di Torino, and Bruino).

This contribution describes the outcomes of the mapping and analysis of public space carried out as part of the S.P.In.A. project (Spazi e Persone In Attesa – Spaces and People Awaiting), which involved the local community in identifying open spaces to be regenerated and reintegrated into the network of everyday public spaces in the participating municipalities. The project was funded by the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation.

The project included a critical analysis of the urban spaces in the selected municipalities, with the goal of identifying degraded, neglected, and abandoned spaces where it is possible to imagine interventions for the regeneration of urban public places, involving local communities and administrations. The general objectives of the project were primarily focused on raising awareness within communities about the role that residual public spaces can play in micro-urban regeneration, aiming to convey the importance of public space and its potential contribution to collective well-being. By recognizing the value of urban space (or lack thereof) in relation to its characteristics and uses, individual citizens are offered the opportunity to reflect on their relationship with the public spaces of the city and to encourage active civic participation. Observing the functioning of everyday spaces, studying their dynamics, and interpreting their meanings represent a way to define a reading of the city that connects the expert view of the professional with the “expert” view (rooted in daily experience) of those who live the city every day. It is in this reciprocal exchange and interaction between communities and scholars that guiding residents toward a renewed, attentive perspective on everyday spaces becomes meaningful – fostering conscious observation of what habit may otherwise obscure.

Luigi Vessella Università degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento DIDA.

Mirko Romagnoli Università degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento DIDA. Mario Bellinzona LAQUP Associazione di Promozione Sociale. Elisa Cocimano LAQUP Associazione di Promozione Sociale.

Lo “spazio intermedio” come dispositivo di accessibilità inclusiva: il caso studio di un progetto a Barcellona

The

“Intermediate

Space” as a Device for Inclusive Accessibility: the Case Study of a Project in Barcelona

In the contemporary city, the spaces between buildings – neither fully public nor private – represent latent opportunities for fostering accessibility, social inclusion, and environmental resilience. This paper investigates the potential of these “intermediate spaces” to function as inclusive thresholds, capable of hosting everyday life and enhancing urban quality, particularly in socio-spatially vulnerable contexts. Starting from a critical reflection on urban space as a relational and dynamic entity, the research explores the role of intermediate spaces as spatial devices that mediate between domestic interiors and the collective domain.

The study is grounded in the case of Besòs and Maresme, two peripheral neighborhoods in Barcelona marked by aging public housing stock, environmental fragility, and social inequality. Here, the winning proposal of the Europan E17 competition has triggered a collaboration with the Municipality of Barcelona, aimed at regenerating the interstitial urban voids as part of a broader urban improvement plan. The design process redefines accessibility not merely as the removal of physical barriers, but as a fundamental right and spatial practice embedded in a universal design approach. Through a dual methodology – combining theoretical inquiry and project-based experimentation – the paper frames the intermediate space as a device with three interrelated dimensions: (1) an accessibility device, improving urban legibility and walkability through gentle topographies and direct connections to homes; (2) an inclusion device, promoting proximity, everyday encounters, and community belonging through shared thresholds and lived-in edges; and (3) an environmental device, integrating vegetation, shade, and microclimate strategies to mitigate heat and support outdoor activities for all ages.

The Besòs-Maresme project exemplifies how spatial and social inclusion can be co-produced through design. Using participatory tools and citizen-driven data, the project activates co-design pathways that recognize local practices and diversities. Rather than proposing definitive solutions, the intervention operates as a critical framework to test new models of urban accessibility and collective life. Ultimately, the intermediate space emerges as a key infrastructural condition for the contemporary city: an active, porous, and transformable domain where the right to the city can be practiced daily through forms of proximity, autonomy, and care.

Lara Paloma Gaia Gallonetto Università degli Studi di Trieste. Architetto, PhD student presso il Dipartimento di Ingegneria e Architettura. Si occupa dei principi compositivi in divenire per lo spazio aperto urbano.

Elisa Scattolin Università Iuav di Venezia. Architetto, PhD student in Urbanistica presso il Dipartimento di Culture del Progetto.

Riattivare gli spazi pubblici urbani sottoutilizzati. Multifunzionalità, flessibilità e uso temporaneo

Reactivating Underutilized Urban Public Spaces. Multifunctionality, Flexibility, and Temporary Use

This paper investigates the reactivation of underutilised urban public spaces through bottom-up, temporary, and participatory approaches, emphasising their civic and social value. A selection of case studies illustrates multifunctional interventions that address contemporary needs for accessibility, sharing, safety, and well-being. The analysis focuses on urban street furniture and spatial devices that embody design principles of flexibility, reversibility, and temporariness, enhancing usability and inclusivity.. The methodology begins with a categorisation of open space, interpreted through Kevin Lynch’s urban image framework, and investigates future scenarios for public space design, including temporary transformations, flexible management, and collaborative networks. The paper highlights removable and adaptable interventions as catalysts for social, cultural, and economic functions, fostering interaction, urban vitality, and collective identity. KEYWORDS:

Giulia Vignati Politecnico di Milano, Department ABC. Architect and PhD on the topic of building adaptability and disassembly for the functional conversion of disused buildings. Research fellow in modular construction (cHOMgenius prototype), member of CirceDC OffLab and the ITACA “Sustainable Building” working group. Editorial board member of Mimesis and TECHNE.

La strada da spazio funzionale a spazio

pubblico: co-progettazione di viale della Vittoria

di Jesi (AN)

From Functional Space to Public Space: the Co-Design of Viale della Vittoria in Jesi (AN)

The discrepancy between the modern city’s legacy of viewing streets as spaces for fast car traffic and presentday imperatives influenced by pandemic-related lifestyle changes, environmental concerns, and climate change necessitates reevaluating the function of streets as spaces for people’s social life. A rethinking of this infrastructure is necessary, not only in terms of mobility, but also as a public space in which collective life is organized (Capuano, 2020). Concurrently, Open Government practices and public engagement (LovariDucci, 2022) – which are increasingly central to innovation in public administration – along with active citizenship and society’s growing voice on the right to the city (Lefebvre, 1968; Harvey, 2013), especially in terms of quality of life, make participatory and co-design approach essential for the public city regeneration (Ciaffi, Crivello, Mela, 2020; Antonucci, Sorice, Volterrani, 2024).

In this context, the case of viale della Vittoria in the city of Jesi (AN), in the Marche region, emerges as paradigmatic. While it is specific in nature, it represents recurring processes and conditions in both the national and international landscape. This 1.5-kilometer stretch of road, originally conceived in the 1920s as an expansive, tree-lined urban boulevard and a symbol of the small city’s modernization, now functions as a primary link between the urban core and the industrial area. The thoroughfare is predominantly utilized for vehicular transit, resulting in a milieu that is less than conducive to the well-being of its inhabitants. Although the prevailing urban plan continues to designate it as an urban boulevard, the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) has reinterpreted it as a high-speed traffic road. Confronted with this evident contradiction, a vigorous discourse has emerged in the public sphere (Habermas, 2023; Boccia Artieri, 2012), inciting the municipal administration to initiate a participatory process aimed at urban regeneration and reclaiming an identity space for the community. A call has been made to citizens, social actors, and stakeholders to engage in a reflective process concerning the opportunities and limitations inherent in a transformation that must necessarily balance a range of needs and expectations.

This contribution delineates the methodology underlying the participatory and collaborative design process for the viale in Jesi, developed using the Design Thinking approach (Brown, 2008). It underscores a potential approach for the redesign of a “great outdoor” space (Rudofsky, 1981), one that engages citizens in all stages of the design process and cultivates community empowerment concerning novel interpretations and experiences of street space. The case study further underscores the pivotal role of the university in formulating strategies and scientific approaches that are multidisciplinary and indispensable for the development of processes that are genuinely participatory, as effective, feasible, and desirable as possible.

Alessia Guaiani Università di Camerino, Scuola di Architettura e Design “E. Vittoria” di Ascoli Piceno. Architetto, PhD in Sustainable Planning.

Valentina Polci Università di Camerino, Scuola di Architettura e Design “E. Vittoria” di Ascoli Piceno. PhD in Teoria dell’informazione e della comunicazione, assegnista di ricerca in Sociologia dei processi culturali e comunicativi. Ludovica Simionato Università di Camerino, Scuola di Architettura e Design “E. Vittoria” di Ascoli Piceno. Architetto, PhD in Sustainable Planning.

Aline Soares Cortes Università di Camerino, Scuola di Architettura e Design “E. Vittoria” di Ascoli Piceno. Architetto, PhD in Sustainable Planning.

Rosalba D’Onofrio Università di Camerino, Scuola di Architettura e Design “E. Vittoria” di Ascoli Piceno. Professore associato in Urbanistica.

Accessibilità e coesione sociale negli spazi pubblici di transizione: il caso delle Piagge a Firenze

Accessibility and Social Cohesion in Transitional Public Spaces: the Case of Le Piagge in Florence

The Ice Age of Human Mobility experienced between 2020 and 2022 marked, on one hand, a halt to ongoing experiments in public space and, on the other, underscored the urgent need to rethink our relationship with both the city and the ways we move through it.

Promoting walking and cycling is now widely recognized as a means to improve health and wellbeing while also reducing the environmental impact of everyday mobility. However, the promotion of healthy and sustainable habits must be supported by the implementation of accessible and wellintegrated routes within the urban and neighborhood fabric. These interventions not only encourage sustainable travel but also foster the pleasure of dwelling and community vitality – key ingredients for developing a sense of belonging, through which space becomes place.

Within this framework, the case study focuses on the co-design of a “safe” pedestrian and cycling connection between the social housing settlements in the Le Piagge neighborhood of Florence. The network proposed by the Urban Housing model (De Santis, 2023) aims to overcome the separation between housing and urban context, facilitating the transformation of social housing developments into territorial hubs that catalyze opportunities for the broader surrounding urban community, not only for their residents. Through a system of cultural and welfare services, local communities and third-sector organizations become key actors in both material and immaterial urban regeneration, reclaiming neighborhood relationships, spaces, and places of the city.

This innovation in housing complements access to housing itself with a broader set of integrated services and cultural welfare, contributing to the development of urban fragments whose sustainability is shaped on a human scale – concretely experimenting with the transformation of housing from asset to service. This framework offers a heuristic lens to explore the impact of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure on daily life, and how the “relational qualities” of such spaces may foster community cohesion, sense of belonging, and well-being. It thus invites reflection on how to understand and make tangible the lived experience of space, creating environments that generate inclusion, interaction, and a genuine sense of place.

Maria De Santis Università degli Studi di Firenze. Professoressa associata in Tecnologia dell’architettura presso il Dipartimento DIDA. Svolge attività didattica e di ricerca sui temi della progettazione ambientale, dell’housing sociale e dell’accessibilità.

Arianna Camellato Università degli Studi di Firenze. Dottoranda in Tecnologia dell’architettura presso il Dipartimento DIDA. Gli interessi di ricerca riguardano lo sviluppo di strumenti per migliorare l’accessibilità delle informazioni nei processi di partecipazione e innovazione sociale.

Alessandro Leonelli Università degli Studi di Firenze. Cultore della materia in Progettazione ambientale. Si laurea a settembre 2024 sviluppando una ricerca sul tema dello spazio gioco e la progettazione di un polo scolastico per l’infanzia, secondo principi di accessibilità e inclusione. Collabora con uno studio di architettura affine alle stesse tematiche.

Progettare spazi pubblici nella città storica.

Una piazza ecologica e inclusiva a Pavia

Designing Public Spaces in the Historical City.

An Ecological and Inclusive Square in Pavia

The open spaces of historic cities can be understood as a vast palimpsest, where historical events have been layered, transformed, erased, interpreted, and rewritten to respond to the needs and aspirations of different periods of habitation. Each intervention has the potential either to conceal or to reveal the traces of previous ones – erasing their presence, reviving them in their original form, reinterpreting them as symbolic signs, or attributing to them renewed meanings.

This dynamic is accompanied by the ongoing necessity to design and build for re-inhabitation, adapting to the demands of contemporary society, which today are more diverse and mutable than ever. In the European context, after the sacrifice made on the altar of modernity – when the semantic dimension of public space in historic areas was stripped away to allow vehicular traffic to penetrate ancient urban centers – there is now a renewed recognition of the values of public space. These values encompass identity, memory, inclusiveness, the promotion of new lifestyles, and environmental rebalancing. Squares are once again regaining their historic role as places of transit and encounter, accessible to all inhabitants and users of the city.

Within the framework of the DORIAN research project at the University of Pavia, an innovative design approach to public space is being developed. Its objective is to define a new model of urban quality that integrates the symbolic and formal recovery of built heritage with a socially and ecologically sensitive perspective. This approach combines historical knowledge with contemporary insights and technologies, aligning with the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Starting from historical reconstruction, surveys of the existing conditions, sociological studies engaging local communities, and environmental analyses, the project aims to produce design scenarios through a research-by-design methodology. These scenarios are intended to provide public administrations with strategic guidelines for shaping policies of public space regeneration.

Alongside the theoretical assumptions of the research, the paper presents a regeneration proposal for piazza Berengario in Pavia (located in the south-eastern quadrant of the historic center). Currently used for vehicle transit and parking and lacking formal identity, the square is reimagined through principles of reintroducing nature to mitigate the impacts of climate change, fostering social inclusion by creating accessible spaces for different user groups – particularly vulnerable populations – and enhancing the historic context in which it is embedded.

Carlo Berizzi University of Pavia, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture. Associate Professor of Architectural and Urban Design, and coordinator of AUDe (Architecture and Urban Design) research laboratory.

Alessandro Greco University of Pavia, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture. Full Professor of Architectural Technology. He is the Rector’s Delegate for University Buildings at the University of Pavia.

Lorenzo Quaglini University of Pavia, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture. PhD student in Design, Modeling and Simulation in Engineering. The focus of the doctoral research is on the language of architecture.

Gaia Nerea Terlicher University of Pavia, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture. Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Adjunct Professor in the course “Advanced Architecture Design Studio”. Her research focuses on the design of public spaces as a strategy to tackle climate change.

Nodi infrastrutturali accessibili. Analisi e proposte per la rigenerazione del piazzale della stazione di Rogoredo a Milano

Accessible Infrastructure Nodes: Analysis and Proposals for the Regeneration of Rogoredo Station Square in Milan

The full accessibility of urban public space is a universal right, long recognized at the international level. Nevertheless, physical barriers, adverse microclimatic conditions, and both real and perceived urban insecurity continue to severely limit freedom of movement and access to services and infrastructure – particularly for the most vulnerable users.

This paper presents the outcomes of a design-based research project conducted by the ENVI-Reg group (Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering, Politecnico di Milano). The research involved a series of analyses and proposals – developed in coordination with the local administration and the Station Directorate of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana – for the substantial requalification of the Rogoredo intermodal hub in Milan (Schiaffonati et al., 2021). The station square represents an emblematic case of a public space that is effectively “not for the people,” despite serving as the interface of Milan’s third busiest railway station in terms of passenger flows. These flows are expected to increase further with the upcoming construction of the new Arena, which will host events during the 2026 Winter Olympics and subsequently major music events in the city.

The square currently suffers from multiple critical issues: architectural barriers; significant conflicts between vehicular and pedestrian traffic and parking, poor public space equipment; and extremely low environmental quality due to the high degree of soil impermeability and total absence of trees. Overall, the area lacks even the most basic elements of urban decorum.

The research adopts an advanced notion of “environmental accessibility”, which seeks to overcome three interrelated categories of barriers: functional, perceptual, and environmental. Site-specific analyses and surveys were conducted using a set of indicators to evaluate current performance – assessing physical and visual barriers, discomfort and insecurity factors, and elements of degradation. Based on this assessment, several design alternatives were developed. The modelling of these scenarios enabled the quantification and comparison of projected benefits and improvements using predictive simulations, parametric models, and specialized software tools (e.g. GIS, ENVI-met, DepthmapX, etc.).

The results provide both a contribution to a potential technical feasibility study aimed at guiding public decisionmaking processes toward an effective and coherent regeneration of the square, and a methodological framework that can be adapted and applied to other contexts facing similar challenges. This stands in contrast to current operational practices, which often implement fragmented and limited solutions resulting from short-term initiatives by different municipal departments.

Andrea Tartaglia Università di Catania, Dipartimento di Scienze umanistiche. Professore ordinario in Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale e membro del gruppo di ricerca ENVI-Reg.

Elena Mussinelli Politecnico di Milano, DABC. Professore ordinario in Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale e coordinatrice del gruppo di ricerca ENVI-Reg.

Giovanni Castaldo Politecnico di Milano, DABC. Ricercatore RTB in Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale e membro del gruppo di ricerca ENVI-Reg.

Annamaria Sereni Politecnico di Milano, DABC. Dottoranda di Ricerca in Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale e membro del gruppo di ricerca ENVI-Reg.

Martina Mulinacci Politecnico di Milano, DABC. Tirocinante post-laurea in Progettazione Tecnologica e Ambientale e membro del gruppo di ricerca ENVI-Reg.

Perugia, scale mobili per la gente

Perugia, Escalators for

People

The role assumed over the last fifty years by the city of Perugia as an ingenious laboratory-city, dedicated to experimenting with innovative forms of urban mobility, is now consolidated: started in 1971 with the pedestrianisation of corso Vannucci, powered in 1983 with the inauguration of the mechanised pedestrian escalators inside the Rocca Paolina and sealed in 2008 with the activation of the minimetro. However, while the pedestrianisation of corso Vannucci has not attracted any particular media attention, the so-called “Rocca Paolina escalators” have brought the Umbrian capital to the forefront of national and international debate, because they are capable of going beyond the merely transport dimension to the advantage of the scenographic dimension and the social dimension, expanding the pedestrian network of the historic center with protected relational spaces that are extremely precious for a city without porticoes. Starting from the Perugia archetype, the contribution highlights the reasons why in Italy, unlike what happened in Spain and Portugal, the mechanised pedestrian escalators built in the following years were not capable of becoming equally “escalators for the people”.

Paolo Belardi Università degli Studi di Perugia. Professore ordinario in Architettura e composizione urbana, Presidente del corso di laurea magistrale interateneo in Planet Life Design. Dal 2013 al 2018 è stato direttore dell’Accademia di Belle Arti Pietro Vannucci di Perugia.

Il comfort termico come ulteriore fattore di accessibilità ambientale: metodi di analisi e valutazione

Thermal Comfort as an Additional Factor of Environmental Accessibility: Methods of Analysis and Evaluation

The environmental accessibility of urban spaces is linked not only to their physical configuration and anthropogenic risks but also to the perceived well-being of the people who use them. In Mediterranean cities, the ongoing climate change is characterized by rising summer temperatures and recurring heatwaves, leading to overheating and the urban heat island effect. These factors reduce the sense of comfort, increase the physical effort required when moving through or remaining stationary in an urban space, and consequently have a negative impact on people’s everyday quality of life. Reduced accessibility, coupled with poor comfort, can even prevent the most vulnerable users from enjoying and utilizing urban commons.

Within the OPERA project – an interdisciplinary and interdepartmental research initiative funded by Roma Tre University – a rapid multi-hazard risk assessment methodology was developed. That has taken into consideration both the risks caused by natural disasters and those that negatively affect people’s wellbeing, such as noise and air pollution, as well as heatwaves and the urban heat island effect. The methodology standardized different evaluation techniques within a common framework, allowing for the ranking of affected areas based on the cumulative risks so as to enable detailed analyses for the highest-risk zones, useful in predisposing targeted intervention measures.

Within this framework, researchers began testing the possibility of applying this rapid multi-hazard assessment method (which analyses risks by defining hazards and vulnerability and evaluates them via their product) to the analyses usually involved in accessibility planning and design. The goal was to assess not only physical accessibility barriers but also the additional obstacle posed by summer thermal discomfort. This preliminary attempt, intended to be expanded through future research, was conducted in two adjacent urban spaces among those previously analysed within the municipality of Cave (Rome), selected as a case study in the OPERA project, by carrying out additional surveys and urban fabric analyses. The focus here is not on accessibility evaluation itself (which follows standard rapid appraisal methods) but rather on the method used to compare the two assessments with the aim of opening a debate on the limitations and the potential applications of this approach.

A combined assessment of these risk levels would not only allow for the identification of overall priorities, but also for the definition of intervention strategies capable of simultaneously addressing multiple issues or acting synergistically to tackle various problems without generating new ones. Such an approach could contribute not only to the creation of more inclusive and sustainable spaces, but also to the development of a better urban environment for all.

Lucia Martincigh Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Dipartimento di Architettura. Già professore CEAR 08/C, Dipartimento di Architettura Roma Tre. Coordinatore Dottorato: Progetto Urbano Sostenibile. Direttore Master: Progettazione Ecosostenibile. Responsabile ricerche CE e COST. Componente Commissione Osservatorio sull’Accessibilità - OAR.

Giovanna Spadafora Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Dipartimento di Architettura. Architetto, PhD, professore associato CEAR/10A. Coordinatrice Dottorato Architettura: innovazione e patrimonio. Responsabile progetti ricerca: interdipartimentale OPERA; internazionale OCSHC, Cuba e componente del PRIN 2022. Membro UID Unione Italiana Disegno.

Elisabetta Tortora Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Dipartimento di Architettura. Architetto e dottoranda, svolge il progetto di ricerca sui casali rurali della Tuscia viterbese e le trasformazioni del paesaggio agrario. Dal 2019 partecipa a ricerche interdisciplinari sullo studio dei centri storici, tra cui la ricerca dal titolo OPERA.

Cool street: atlante dei materiali urbani per pavimentazioni di spazi pubblici inclusivi e resilienti

Cool Street: Atlas of Urban Materials for Inclusive and Resilient Public Space Paving

Summer overheating represents one of the most significant challenges for the liveability of public spaces in urban areas with significant repercussions on environmental accessibility and citizens’ health. The phenomenon of the Urban Heat Island (UHI), accentuated by climate change and the widespread presence of impermeable and low-reflectance surfaces in densely populated contexts, urges the need to adopt mitigation and adaptation strategies to increase the resilience of the built environment and the quality of life in cities. Among the most effective solutions, cool pavements stand out for their ability to reflect more solar radiation, reduce heat accumulation and improve the local microclimate. However, choosing the most suitable pavement for each context and field of application requires an analysis of the mechanical and chemical-physical properties of the material, in compliance with current regulations. This analysis also considers aspects such as durability, installation and maintenance costs, and environmental impact throughout the entire life cycle of the product. The choice of public pavements also has a direct impact on the physical, sensory and cognitive accessibility of the space, facilitating orientation and independent and safe use by users with disabilities and improving their multisensory experience. Starting from this premise, the research identified and analyzed the materials traditionally used in the public spaces of the city of Rome – streets, sidewalks and squares – and explored two directions: on the one hand, proposing integration strategies to improve the performance of traditional materials in terms of heat mitigation; on the other, identifying innovative solutions available on the market, such as materials with a high Solar Reflectance Index (SRI>29), or permeable materials to promote evaporative cooling, examining them as possible alternatives to the traditional pavements identified. The atlas, structured by categories of materials, includes sheets containing general characteristics, technical and economic specifications, performance and certifications, compliance with the minimum environmental criteria (Criteri Ambientali Minimi – CAM), operational requirements and possible uses in urban areas. Furthermore, it provides introductory sheets by category that investigate, based on empirical analyses, the thermal response and perception of thermal comfort of inhabitants during both day and night phases. The comparison between basic paving and integrated solutions with trees shows that the performance data of the paving taken in isolation is not sufficient to guarantee optimal conditions of outdoor comfort. The aim of the research was to provide an operational tool for designers and public administrators, combining scientific bases and application case studies. This approach was aimed at supporting the design of inclusive and adaptive public spaces, while promoting innovative solutions and sustainable social behaviors.

Alessandra Battisti Sapienza Università di Roma, PDTA. Architetta e professoressa ordinaria in Progettazione tecnologica ambientale. Ha diretto corsi di laurea e laboratori. È direttrice del Master in Environmental Technological Design. Consulente e membro di comitati scientifici nazionali e internazionali.

Angela Calvano Sapienza Università di Roma, PDTA. Architetta e PhD candidate in Progettazione tecnologica ambientale. Svolge attività di ricerca nell’ambito della rigenerazione urbana e territoriale.

Eva Vergara Sapienza Università di Roma, PDTA. Architetta e PhD candidate in Progettazione tecnologica ambientale. Svolge attività di ricerca nell’ambito dell’architettura bioclimatica e del riuso del patrimonio architettonico.

Livia Calcagni Sapienza Università di Roma, PDTA. Architetta, Doctor europaeus in Progettazione tecnologica ambientale (Sapienza-TU Wien), è assegnista di ricerca. Svolge attività di ricerca e didattica su architettura clima-adattiva, rigenerazione e salute urbana.

Andrea Canducci Sapienza Università di Roma, PDTA. Architetto e assegnista di ricerca in Progettazione tecnologica ambientale. Collabora a progetti di ricerca nazionali su strategie di rigenerazione.

Strade di transizione, nuovi spazi per la mitigazione ambientale. Il caso di Centocelle a Roma

Transitional Streets, New Spaces for Environmental Mitigation. The Case of Centocelle in Rome

Addressing the effects of climate change is a priority for contemporary cities and their transformation. Within this context, the research project “Trans[heat]ions” investigates urban design strategies for climate mitigation through the rethinking of public spaces. The study explores the role of interactions between natural resources and human actions in shaping conditions of microclimatic and spatial well-being. The city is interpreted as a complex ecosystem in which geographical, environmental, and anthropic factors generate unique microclimates, influencing phenomena such as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect (Oke et al., 2017).

The research focuses on selected urban areas in Rome, considered “transitional” both due to their location between the city and the countryside and the ongoing transformation processes. The analysis of atmospheric temperatures, integrated with socio-economic vulnerability indicators, highlights significant criticalities in the eastern sector of the city, particularly in the Centocelle neighborhood: a densely populated area with a hybrid urban-rural fabric, notable environmental potential, and subject to densification processes.

The goal of the research is to assess the impact of UHI and to propose design strategies involving interconnected systems of micro-interventions along streets, conceived as both climatic and social infrastructures, capable of improving environmental quality and residents’ well-being.

Often viewed merely as transit spaces, streets are instead strategic resources for climate mitigation and the creation of inclusive public spaces. The project proposes targeted actions to transform the street network into an adaptive and resilient system that addresses climate change challenges while fostering social cohesion.

The proposed interventions include:

Redesigning urban mobility by reducing vehicular traffic and promoting active mobility and public transportation; Selective depaving and innovative materials, replacing impermeable surfaces with permeable ones; Green and blue infrastructures, with the creation of ecological corridors and the integration of vegetation and shading systems.

The effectiveness of these strategies will be assessed through microclimatic simulations, comparing different design scenarios and measuring the impact of proposed solutions on urban temperature and air quality.

The “Trans[heat]ions” research highlights the need to rethink urban design through new climatic and social infrastructures. Transforming streets into multifunctional and adaptive spaces emerges as an effective solution to mitigate the effects of climate change and promote collective well-being, contributing to the development of more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive cities.

Alessandro Gabbianelli Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Dipartimento di Architettura. Architetto, professore associato di Architettura del paesaggio. I suoi temi di ricerca si focalizzano sugli spazi residuali urbani e la loro rigenerazione attraverso il progetto di paesaggio. Si occupa inoltre di agricoltura urbana e delle relazioni tra paesaggio, patrimonio e turismo.

Luca Montuori Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Dipartimento di Architettura. Architetto, professore associato. Dal 2017 al 2021 assessore all’Urbanistica di Roma Capitale. I temi di ricerca si concentrano sulle relazioni tra nuove forme dell’urbano e paesaggi della città contemporanea con particolare riguardo alla città di Roma. Nel 2000 ha fondato, con Riccardo Petrachi, lo studio 2tr_architettura.

Maria Pone Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Dipartimento di Architettura. Architetta e ricercatrice in Progettazione architettonica e urbana. La sua ricerca ruota intorno ai temi della progettazione sostenibile degli spazi pubblici urbani, con una specifica attenzione alle esigenze di adattamento agli effetti dei cambiamenti climatici.

GREEN SPACES FOR THE WELL-BEING SPAZI VERDI PER IL BENESSERE

Dario Trabucco

The natural environment is, by definition, the one least transformed by human intervention. Here, obstacles of progressive complexity can be found: from the uneven paving of a green area to the overhanging rock walls that only a few climbers are able to defeat, the natural world attracts human beings precisely because of its uncontrolled beauty. In the urban context, the correlation between quality of life and access to green areas has been known for centuries — at least empirically — making possible, as early as the 1800s, the creation of urban parks and the opening of private gardens to the public in major European metropolises, followed by American cities later (Schuyler, 1988).

The benefits provided by green spaces, initially not measurable, have now been extensively documented through both qualitative and quantitative methods, examined from numerous specialist and multidisciplinary perspectives. Research in this field has been synthesized in a wide-ranging bibliography made available by the World Health Organization through the publication Urban green spaces and health. A review of evidence (WHO, 2016). Yet, especially in Italy, parks often make the news with stories that drive away — rather than attract — those population groups for whom they are primarily intended: children, families, and the elderly. The link between the design quality and maintenance of parks, and the related issues of social safety and hygiene, is well established (Sypion, 2023).

Consequently, many local governments have attempted to improve the quality of urban green spaces through Piani comunali del verde (Municipal Green Plans) (ISPRA, 2024), that explicitly adopt the dual strategy of physical and social regeneration demanded by citizens, particularly evident in the post-pandemic period.

Proximity to well-maintained green areas also increases the economic value of both public and private buildings, while performing important environmental functions: enhancing biodiversity, helping mitigate the effects of urban heat islands, reducing air pollutant concentrations, absorbing street noise, and improving soil permeability. This array of positive systemic effects makes their neglect difficult to justify — socially, environmentally, and arguably even economically.

The United Nations’ Agenda for Sustainable Development establishes in Target 11.7 the objective of achieving, by 2030, “universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities”. The writings presented in this section of the book focus precisely on highlighting, through case studies, the benefits derived from the use from all of private gardens, public parks, and natural green areas, as well as on the study of technical and regulatory solutions to promote their inclusivity for the broadest segments of the population.

References

ISPRA (2024). I Piani comunali del Verde: strumenti per riportare la natura nella nostra vita? Quaderni Ambiente e Società, n. 33.

Schuyler, D. (1988). The new Urban Landscape: The redefinition of City Form in the Nineteenth Century America. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press.

Sypion, N. (2023). Exploring the Impact of Green Areas on Crime Rates in Urban Environments. European Research Studies Journal, vol. XXVI, n. 4, pp. 456-461.

World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe (2016). Urban green spaces and health. A review of evidence. Copenaghen: WHO Press.

Parchi giochi e CAM: strumenti di progettazione partecipata per la sostenibilità e l’inclusione

Playgrounds and CAMs:

Participatory Design Tools for Sustainability and Inclusion

Growing environmental risks have progressively oriented the design of public spaces by privileging the environmental component of sustainability and often putting in the background the social aspects that, together with the cultural and economic ones, complete the pillars of sustainable urban development. The United Nations Agenda 2030 (2015), in particular with Objective 11, calls for inclusive planning, capable of responding to the needs of the most vulnerable segments of the population (elderly, children, people with specific needs). This approach requires the adoption of incremental project evaluation criteria: accessibility, equity, cultural identity, to be combined with the reduction of environmental impacts.

In Italy a significant step toward integrating environmental and social aspects of sustainability is represented by Ministerial Decree No. 7 of February 7, 2023, which introduced Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) for urban furniture. This decree establishes specific requirements for the design of playgrounds, the supply and installation of urban furniture products and outdoor furnishings, and their maintenance. In addition to promote the use of sustainable materials, one of the CAM’s innovative features is the inclusion of participatory design practices that guarantee the accessibility and inclusiveness of public spaces, emphasizing the active involvement of local communities and stakeholders. However, this indication remains primarily a general principle, unsupported by operational tools or methodological guidelines capable of directing its concrete implementation and ensuring its effective application.

Long before the introduction of the CAM, there were participatory design experiences in Italy aimed at creating inclusive playgrounds. These initiatives, promoted by associations representing people with disabilities and grounded in the principles of Universal Design and inclusive practices, were tested on technical, relational, and cultural levels. In this context, the present paper first intends to showcase good practices of environmental sustainability and social inclusion by analysing interventions carried out under the “Giochiamo tutti!” initiative of FISH in Genoa (2010), Milan (2012), and L’Aquila (2015).

Building on these case studies, this paper also proposes a reflection on the value attributed to participation within the CAM, highlighting the absence of methodologies and operational tools capable of concretely guiding such processes. In particular, there are no indications on how to structure, implement, and evaluate participatory processes in terms of design effectiveness and the quality of generated inputs. In light of these gaps, the paper will explore the potential contributions of certain technical regulations on accessibility, with the aim of envisioning their possible use as operational instruments for conducting participatory processes.

Fabrizio Mezzalana SUMs Architects. Architetto specializzato in Universal design e accessibilità in ambiti privato, pubblico, sanitario. Progettazione e D.L. di adattamenti ambientali e soluzioni domotiche, facilitazione di processi partecipati, ispettore verifica progetti art. 42 D. Lgs. 36/2023.

Teresa Villani Sapienza Università di Roma, DPDTA. Architetto PhD, professore associato in Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale. Svolge ricerche sull’innovazione tecnologica e sociale nella progettazione per la collettività, approfondendo fruibilità, comunicatività ambientale e wayfinding in chiave inclusiva e sostenibile.

Giulia Pentella SUMs Architects. Architetto esperto CAM, DNSH, LEED AP, strategie bioclimatiche, comfort, analisi luce naturale, rischio abbagliamento, ottimizzazione parametrica sistemi ombreggiamento, modellazione energetica statica e dinamica, ispettore verifica progetti art. 42 D. Lgs. 36/2023.

Parco Schuster come laboratorio di accessibilità: metodi, strumenti e risultati di una ricerca sugli spazi aperti pubblici inclusivi

Schuster Park as a Laboratory for Accessibility: Methods, Tools, and Outcomes of a Research Project on Inclusive Public Open Spaces

The creation of public spaces as environments that foster interaction and strengthen collective identity is one of the most recognized strategies for advancing equity, participation, and quality of life. In this context, the regeneration of “green infrastructure” is a key priority in both European and global policy agendas (VargasHernández et al., 2021) and renewing these processes through inclusive tools and methods promotes collective critical awareness and reinforces social cohesion (Lambertini, 2013).

This contribution presents the methodology, tools, and outcomes of the research project “Accessible and Inclusive Outdoor Spaces: The Transformation of Schuster Park in Rome into a Universal Park”, conducted by the Department of Architecture at Roma Tre University in collaboration with the Tetrabondi Onlus Foundation, the Department of Human Neurosciences at Sapienza University of Rome, the Italian Association of Occupational Therapists (AITO), and the cultural association AES (Architecture, Emergency, Development).

The goal of the research was to define iterative and scalable intervention strategies for the transformation of existing parks into accessible public spaces usable by the widest range of users, using Schuster Park in Rome as a case study.

The study proposed a participatory model capable of demonstrating how the integration of flexibility principles and the involvement of diverse stakeholders can positively influence the phases of site analysis, inclusive design, and shared implementation (Magarò et al., 2024). Throughout the research process, a set of analytical tools was developed, designed to operate at various levels of depth and complexity, to identify existing barriers and obstacles within the park area and its connections to nearby urban nodes. This investigation, while outlining the current conditions and the unique character of the site, also enabled the development of guidelines by identifying spatial, technological, and environmental features to inform design strategies. These led to specific morphological and functional solutions that meet the requirements of inclusivity and environmental accessibility for the psychophysical well-being of individuals (Calcagnini, 2024). To address the complexity of the themes explored, user ideas and insights were integrated through recurring opportunities for dialogue and engagement, promoting an approach centered on the awareness of spatial practices and the sense of belonging to place. Moreover, the involvement of various public and private institutions enabled the results of the research to be donated to Rome’s VIII Municipality and to Roma Capitale. These institutions formally adopted the research as a Design Guidance Document, supporting the integration of universal design principles for the park into the urban planning frameworks of the City of Rome and the Società Giubileo 2025.

Adolfo F.L. Baratta Università degli Studi Roma Tre. Professore associato in Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura presso il Dipartimento di Architettura. È stato Visiting professor presso la University of Cluj-Napoca, la University of Pecs, l’HTWG di Konstanz e la Universidad de Boyacà. Dal 2020 è esperto del MIT e dal 2022 è coordinatore del Cluster SITdA Accessibilità Ambientale.

Massimo Mariani Università degli Studi Roma Tre. Architetto, dottore di ricerca e assegnista di ricerca presso il Dipartimento di Architettura, la sua attività di ricerca è concentrata sull’innovazione tecnologica e sullo studio di tipi edilizi complessi anche in riferimento a temi legati ad accessibilità e inclusività.

Marina Tonolo Università degli Studi Roma Tre. Architetto, borsista, dottoranda di ricerca in Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura (XL ciclo). Svolge attività di ricerca nell’ambito dell’Accessibilità ambientale e della Progettazione inclusiva e partecipata.

Riabilitare nel parco. Un circuito di addestramento per la formazione alla mobilità in autonomia Rehabilitation in the Park. A Training Circuit for Autonomous Mobility Learning

The public park is a place of care and psychophysical well-being and in its naturalness, it contributes to preserving urban biodiversity; when it is an integral part of health facilities it has a sanitary function, it is therapeutic and can host new technological systems dedicated to care. This is the case of the rehabilitation path of the Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC) built in the park of the Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (IMFR). The innovative value of the project is in the process that, seizing the opportunity of a private donation, involved the IMFR for the instrumental identification and definition of the functional requirements for the treatment needs, and involved the Centro Regionale d’Informazione su Barriere architettoniche e Accessibilità del Friuli Venezia Giulia (CRIBA FVG) for the performance definition of the components of the technological system; to the designers in charge of the Global Project Architettura Inclusiva studio and to the technical area of ASUFC the task of understanding the elements of participation and returning a path whose attention to construction detail made it possible to achieve the objective.

It is a therapeutic itinerary that contributes to the gradual and planned progress of the mobility of a disabled person; it is the result of a participatory process with the occupational therapists of the IMFR and shared with stakeholders through the CRIBA, it returns a simulation system according to the parameters of validated rehabilitation tests. The course respects the national regulations on architectural barriers and offers patients the possibility to concretely experience the obstacles to environmental accessibility of building and urban structures; it is presented as a training circuit that on the whole reproduces in succession elements of collective spaces, giving patients the possibility to test their personal mobility and ability to use aids in relation to spatial components. The possibility of understanding the spatial components by interpreting the standards is a further potential of the realised structure that could also be instrumental in the didactics of architecture for universal design. Furthermore, the potential with respect to sensory experimentation is also noted with the awareness that it is the task of design to create enabling environments and build accessibility for effective inclusion. In designing spaces for the generality of people, it is necessary to engage in a careful and patient search for solutions that, starting from a ‘universal’ base, can deal with even very specific problems, trying to find a balance between the aspiration to universality and the attention to individual needs.

Christina Conti Università degli Studi di Udine. Architetto, PhD, è professore associato presso l’Università degli Studi di Udine dove svolge attività didattica e di ricerca nel campo del design tecnologico con attenzione all’innovazione dei sistemi ambientali inclusivi. Dal 2009 è responsabile del Laboratorio dalt per la didattica e la ricerca sull’accessibilità ambientale, la progettazione inclusiva e il Design for All Alberto Cervesato Università degli Studi di Udine. Architetto, PhD. Laureato all’Università degli Studi di Udine, presso la quale svolge attività di didattica e di ricerca sui temi della rigenerazione e valorizzazione dei patrimoni, con particolare attenzione al progetto ambientale e alla cultura materiale. È socio SITdA e membro del cluster Accessibilità Ambientale.

Green Phlegrean Network: progettare percorsi verdi per la salute e l’accessibilità ai Campi Flegrei Green Phlegrean Network:

Designing Green Routes for Health and Accessibility in the Phlegrean Fields

The concept of walkable, widely used in anglo-saxon literature to describe environments that support pedestrian mobility, lacks an exact equivalent in Italian. This paper introduces the term percorribilità pedonale to capture the structural, perceptual, and environmental qualities that encourage walking. Walking, historically rooted in both rural and urban forms of mobility, has progressively lost centrality with post-war urban sprawl and motorized transport, yet is now being reconsidered as a public health resource. The notion of green exercise, walking in natural settings as a therapeutic practice, has gained increasing recognition for its benefits on physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being. However, access to green infrastructure remains uneven, particularly in fragile territories. The Phlegraean Fields, a densely inhabited volcanic caldera marked by seismic, hydrogeological, and environmental risks, provide a paradigmatic case for exploring how inclusive design can foster both health promotion and risk awareness. Building on international literature and methodological frameworks from forest therapy trails, the study adopts a multiscalar assessment integrating site and path criteria. Three representative sites (Monte Nuovo - Lago d’Averno, Monte Gauro, and Riserva degli Astroni) were analyzed through GIS mapping, descriptive data, and field evidence. Results highlight significant differences in accessibility, perceptual quality, and exposure to geological risk: Monte Nuovo - Lago d’Averno offers the most accessible conditions; Monte Gauro represents a more selective but immersive experience; while the Riserva degli Astroni combines guided accessibility with environmental education. The analysis reveals how percorribilità pedonale can be translated into practical evaluation grids that connect landscape qualities with user-centered accessibility. In conclusion, the paper advocates for site-specific and resilient design strategies in high-risk areas, proposing a modular green infrastructure network capable of enhancing inclusiveness, well-being, and landscape awareness in the Phlegraean Fields.

Ylenia Di Dario Università degli studi di Napoli “Federico II”, Dipartimento di Architettura. Architetto, Dottoranda in Tecnologia dell’architettura e progettazione ambientale.

Erminia Attaianese Università degli studi di Napoli “Federico II”, Dipartimento di Architettura. Architetto, Professore di Tecnologia dell’architettura, ergonomia applicata e User-Centered Design, Coordinatore del Laboratorio di Ergonomia Applicata e Sperimentale.

Stato di attuazione del Programma Dateci

Spazio:

il confronto tra i casi di Bologna,

Roma e Bari

Implementation Status of Dateci Spazio Program: the Comparison Between Bologna, Rome and Bari

Providing accessible, inclusive, and safe environments constitutes a fundamental prerequisite for fostering children and adolescents’ holistic development, physical, cognitive, emotional, and social. The design of an innovative playground, wherein users are free to choose whether to engage alone or with others, in structured or unstructured, competitive or collaborative modalities, entails a rigorous needs-based analysis of potential beneficiaries. In this regard, adopting design principles grounded in Universal Design, Community Engagement, and environmental sensitivity represents a strategic approach to align with national and European funding frameworks supporting the implementation of inclusive playgrounds. Within this policy context, the experimental programme Datecispazio, with a financial endowment of €5,000,000.00, promotes the realisation of inclusive playgrounds characterised by innovation. The eleven projects selected for funding must address multidimensional criteria, including social accessibility, user safety, and the technical and performance quality of materials employed. Accordingly, an ex-ante multi-criteria evaluation methodology was applied to support the comparative analysis of proposals. Despite its partially reductionist nature, this approach enables a systematic and integrated appraisal of alternatives in response to a multifaceted decision-making landscape. To provide a preliminary assessment of implementation progress, this contribution examines three case studies: Giardino deiPioppi (Bologna), the inclusive park Parco Modesto di Veglia (Roma), and Parcobaleno (Bari). Specifically, it presents a comparative analysis of the projects’ advancement by integrating ex-post output evaluations. This juxtaposition of ex-ante and operational phase performances, measured against consistent evaluative criteria, allows for identifying deviations between planned and actual outcomes, thereby informing future practices.

Jacopo Andreotti Politecnico di Torino, Dipartimento di Architettura e Design. PhD in Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura (XXXVII Ciclo) e assegnista di ricerca presso il Politecnico di Torino. Svolge attività di ricerca nell’ampio alveo della sostenibilità ambientale e sociale dei processi edilizi e dello sviluppo di componenti e prodotti.

Fabrizio Finucci Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Dipartimento di Architettura. Architetto, PhD in Riqualificazione e recupero insediativo (XXII Ciclo), professore associato di Estimo presso l’Università degli Studi Roma Tre. Consolida l’attività di ricerca nell’ambito delle tecniche di valutazione implementate da approcci partecipativi e deliberativi.

Antonella G. Masanotti Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Dipartimento di Architettura. Architetto, PhD in Estimo (XXXVII Ciclo) e assegnista di ricerca presso l’Università degli Studi Roma Tre. Svolge attività di ricerca su metodi e tecniche di valutazione multi-criteriale, in particolare nelle applicazioni in programmi complessi e partecipati.

Michele Solazzo Politecnico di Bari, Dipartimento di Architettura, Costruzione e Design. Architetto, PhD student (XXXIX Ciclo) in Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura presso il Politecnico di Bari. Svolge attività di ricerca finalizzata al riconoscimento e alla definizione delle forme costruttive nell’architettura in pietra di Gilles Perraudin.

Per la fruizione del patrimonio verde: un esempio veneziano Towards the Enjoyment of Green Heritage: A Case Study from Venice

The present proposal examines the project carried out in Venice, on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore, between 2023 and early 2024, within the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The initiative was supported by the funding line “Removal of physical and cognitive barriers to enable broader access to and participation in culture within cultural sites.”

The project focuses on the island’s park, one of the largest green areas in the historic center of Venice, with approximately 700 trees of 32 different species and 400 shrubs. Its main objective is to enhance accessibility for diverse audiences, both on-site and remotely, through a system of sensory and multimedia exploration of the island. The park holds significant cultural relevance as it hosts some of the most noteworthy examples of contemporary architectural experimentation in Venice, such as the Teatro Verde (1954), designed by Luigi Vietti, and the Vatican Chapels, the Vatican Pavilion at the 2018 Architecture Biennale. Furthermore, it represents a privileged vantage point for understanding the lagoon landscape, offering a wide view over the network of islands in the southern lagoon. Despite its centrality in the history and topography of the city, the site functions as a space of relief from conventional tourist itineraries and fosters diastratic forms of cultural experience, encouraging individuals to participate in the processes of identification, study, interpretation, and preservation of cultural heritage. The ambition to make a large-scale green space more inclusive presents specific challenges, particularly when compared with more canonical cultural venues. Moreover, the project had to contend with the limitations of design choices made in the 1950s, which overlooked the future growth of the vegetation. The resulting density now restricts both physical and perceptual accessibility, with implications for safety and autonomous mobility. These challenges were exacerbated by the 2019 acqua alta and by the pandemic lockdown, which further reduced maintenance efforts and financial resources.

The intervention, therefore, operated on two levels: on the one hand, the physical reconfiguration of spaces, including arboricultural measures to restore both physical and perceptual connections; on the other, the development of alternative modes of access and tailored tools to ensure meaningful visitor experiences for a heterogeneous audience. Among these actions, the project included the design of a dedicated web application, accessible both remotely and on-site. The app offers a multi-stage exploration path, linked to GPS and push notifications, providing access to informative audio and LIS/IS video content. The goal was to overcome the limitations of the existing audioguide system, while also supplying essential information on orientation, services, wayfinding, and the location of tactile maps – using simplified, carefully calibrated language.

The visitor itinerary was also enriched with tactile-olfactory tools. To facilitate knowledge of the Vatican Chapels, a tactile library was developed, accompanied by a tactile booklet, enabling blind and visually impaired visitors to perceive the material diversity of the architectural works. Furthermore, the planting of pubescent and aromatic species expanded sensory experiences while simultaneously enhancing environmental and botanical literacy. Finally, the project activated awareness-raising pathways to ensure adequate reception practices and promoted training opportunities in collaboration with associations and universities – most notably the University of San Marino, through the Ospite Ospitante workshop held during the 2023 Biennale. KEYWORDS:VENEZIA,

Francesca Salatin Università Iuav di Venezia. Laureata in architettura per la conservazione, PhD in Storia dell’architettura e dell’urbanistica. Si occupa a vario titolo di Beni culturali, sia in ambito accademico, che professionale. Ha lavorato dal 2016 al 2025 per la Fondazione Giorgio Cini onlus di Venezia in qualità di architetto, progettando e coordinando interventi di restauro e progetti di valorizzazione del patrimonio. Attualmente collabora con Gallerie dell’Accademia.

Walkover: l’azione del camminare come segno urbano

Walkover: Walking as an Urban Sign

The case study focuses on the urban and architectural composition of a section of the waterfront in Marsala’s city. The area boasts a prestigious geographical position, marking, with its shape, the westernmost tip of Sicily.

The research aims to systematize the city’s various layers, which are currently characterized by the absence of a “link” capable of making accessible a space of notable architectural, historical, and landscape value. The project area is defined by two long boundaries: one along the road and the other along the coastline. The city-coast relationship has always been the core around which the urban layout has developed.

The proposed urban composition takes this urban substratum into account, with the goal of reinvigorating architectural axes that have historically characterized the place through the various eras Marsala has gone.

During the analysis of the elements in site, emerged a kind of landscape desertification, closely tied to meteorological factors. One of the project’s key objectives is to intervene by intensifying vegetation, aiming to extend the seasonal use of the waterfront and make it accessible even during the hottest periods of the year. The choice of densely planting native species is thus fundamental and must be made carefully to ensure the vegetation can withstand the ongoing rise in temperatures.

The new park is intended as an experience where people return to the center of urban living – where walking becomes a pleasant and safe activity. The goal is to give citizens, both individuals and groups, a city landscape they can feel a part of, by connecting the urban context with the area’s natural palimpsest.

The elevation difference between the city and the coast has been studied as a compositional opportunity, using a system of ramps and walkways. These start at street level, descend and spread along the coast, touch the edge of the sea, and then rise again to reconnect with the inhabited ground. These new paths will provide access to platforms located in suitable areas for swimming, complete with amenities and sports equipment rental zones.

Special attention has been given to the theme of reuse – both in terms of construction materials and the adaptation of existing architectural structures within the area. Thanks to its design and the space it occupies, the new park offers a compositional structure to a set of previously isolated elements. The new lines create a controlled movement that breaks urban staticity, with the goal of “bringing the sea inward”. These lines convey fluidity and transformation, generating spaces for movement, gathering, departure, and arrival. It is a thoughtfully designed place, a crossroads between memory, city, and landscape, where water once again becomes a unifying element.

Federica Barraco Università Aldo Moro di Bari. Architetto laureato all’Università Iuav di Venezia, ha collaborato con studi internazionali all’estero per poi tornare a praticare la professione in Italia. Attualmente è collaboratore alla didattica allo Iuav e frequenta il secondo anno di dottorato presso l’Università Aldo Moro di Bari. Federica Bavetta Architetto laureato presso l’Università degli Studi di Firenze e con Master in Architettura del progetto sostenibile al Politecnico di Torino. Lavora come libero professionista in Sicilia. Ad oggi ha intrapreso un percorso di collaborazione con uno studio Omanita.

Rigenerare lo spazio pubblico urbano: progettare strade verdi, accessibili e resilienti. Dai manuali internazionali al caso studio di

San Donà

di

Piave

Regenerating Urban Public Space: Green, Accessible and Resilient Streets. From International Guidelines to the San Donà di Piave Case Study

Urban expansion and the increasing complexity of city territories make it essential to design open public spaces that enhance quality of life through an inclusive, sustainable, and innovative approach.

This paper presents an analysis of the technological and environmental design of public spaces, with particular attention to the requirements of universal accessibility and the multifunctionality of green areas, drawing comparisons between three international references: the GBC Quartieri manual (2015), the Street Design Manual for Oslo (2020), and SuDS in London (2016). Within this framework, the case study of the “Porta Nord” district in San Donà di Piave is introduced, developed in collaboration with the Università Iuav di Venezia and aligned with the objectives of the 2030 Agenda, particularly Goal 11: “Sustainable Cities and Communities.”

The three manuals analyzed recognize the value of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) as integrated systems capable of combining environmental management, accessibility, and social inclusion. The research highlights the centrality of participation and environmental education as essential tools in the design of public spaces, along with the need to integrate green and grey infrastructures to promote urban resilience and collective well-being.

The case of San Donà also stands out for its use of innovative digital tools. Eco-cITy, a platform developed during the IBM GreenCityAI Hackathon, enables predictive management of public spaces through the integration of BIM data, open data, and environmental and social indicators. The platform uses parametric logic to simulate future scenarios and support strategic decisions based on updatable data. Specifically, the project enhances indicators related to accessibility, natural elements, and environmental comfort, with the goal of developing, by 2025, catalogs of design solutions that are both replicable and communicable.

The final reflection emphasizes that an integrated approach, supported by digital tools and performance indicators, is essential for addressing the challenges of urban regeneration. The regulatory references analyzed, combined with technical knowledge and updatable operational tools, provide a solid framework for guiding municipalities toward an inclusive, resilient form of urban design that prioritizes the environmental and social quality of public spaces.

Emilio Antoniol Università Iuav di Venezia. Architetto, PhD in Tecnologia dell’architettura. È docente a contratto presso l’Università Iuav di Venezia e l’Università degli Studi di Udine.

Maria Antonia Barucco Università Iuav di Venezia. Professoressa associata CEAR-08/C, Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura. Coordinatrice del Cluster GLASS.

Federica Crosato Università Iuav di Venezia. Dottoranda di ricerca in Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura presso Università Iuav di Venezia.

Spazi fitness outdoor e accessibilità: ripensare il design urbano per la salute e l’equità Outdoor

Fitness Spaces and Accessibility: Rethinking Urban Design for Health and Equity

Outdoor fitness spaces are a crucial resource for promoting public health (WHO, 2020), especially in a post-pandemic era characterized by a growing focus on psychophysical well-being. However, many outdoor fitness areas continue to propose obsolete design schemes, derived directly from indoor contexts or from historical models such as Percorsi Vita. This article explores the critical issues related to these approaches, highlighting the need for a radical rethinking that integrates biomechanical, demographic and design considerations to optimise the effectiveness and inclusiveness of public spaces intended for physical activity.

An in-depth analysis of user needs in Italy reveals a strong disparity in access to and use of fitness areas, influenced by factors such as age, gender and motor competence. Elderly and beginners, in particular, face significant barriers related to the absence of accessible equipment and the lack of information support. Furthermore, women tend to prefer aesthetically pleasing and socially welcoming environments, underlining the importance of inclusive design (Sport e Salute, 2022).

From a design perspective, the direct transfer of indoor equipment to outdoor spaces proves ineffective, often ignoring crucial aspects such as machine adjustability and biomechanical safety (Kaya et al., 2018). The phenomenon of the “motor paradox” (Bertiato, 2025), where activities already naturally performed outdoors are replicated with static machinery, raises further questions about the efficiency of such installations. In response, a design approach based on guidelines integrated with architectural solutions that promote accessibility, universal use and aesthetic harmony with the urban landscape is proposed. Finally, the potential of outdoor fitness areas is highlighted not only as tools to improve public health, but also as catalysts for social cohesion and local economic development. Holistic and sustainable design that responds to the needs of a diverse population can transform these spaces into true pillars of urban communities. By engaging public administrators, designers and health professionals in a collaborative dialogue, it is possible to create innovative infrastructures that maximize physical, psychological and social benefits for users.

Francesco Bertiato Università degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Architettura (DiDA). Esperto in scienze motorie e salute pubblica (PhD in Exercise Science and Human Movement), prosegue la sua ricerca in architettura (3° anno di PhD in Architettura presso UniFI), studiando strategie spaziali per promuovere l’attività fisica e integrare i principi OMS nella pianificazione urbana.

Ecodesign per l’inclusione: strategie di economia circolare per spazi urbani

accessibili

e sostenibili

Ecodesign for Inclusion: Circular Economy Strategies for Accessible and Sustainable Urban Spaces

Accessibility and inclusion in urban spaces are key elements in ensuring the right to the city, understood as the right of everyone to have a non-segregating spatial experience adequate to sustain their lives (Lefebvre, 1968) especially for people with disabilities and vulnerable groups. However, the design of public environments often overlooks the connection between environmental sustainability, accessibility and mental and physical well-being.

The paper investigates the role of ecodesign and circular economy in the design of urban spaces capable of adapting to people’s needs while reducing environmental impact.

The Disability Decree 2024, introduces a significant revision of the definition of “condition of disability,” amending Article 3 of Law 104/1992 and recognizing the role of environmental barriers in limiting social participation, thus a person with a disability is one who has lasting impairments of a physical, mental, intellectual or sensory nature that, in relation to barriers of various kinds, limit full and equal participation in living contexts, as reflected in the baseline assessment.

In parallel, the new Minimum Environmental Criteria Decree, which came into force in July 2023, aims to reduce the environmental impacts of the supply and maintenance of street furniture products by incentivizing sustainable production practices taking into account the three dimensions of sustainability, the environmental, economic and social. The integration of draining pavements, urban green systems and natural shading emerges as a key strategy for improving the quality of public spaces, reducing resource consumption and CO₂ emissions and promoting climate resilience.

In this context, Regulation (EU) 2024/1781, promotes stricter environmental criteria for products placed on the market, incentivizing innovative solutions for low-impact urban infrastructure. In addition, Directive (EU) 2023/1791 on the energy performance of buildings and the European Disability Strategy 2021-2030 emphasize the need to ensure that the green transition is also an inclusive process aimed at improving the accessibility of built environments.

Through a critical analysis of international case studies, the paper explores how the intersectional approach can increase inclusive design. The methodology adopted involves the evaluation of best practices, with a focus on projects that demonstrate how the use of sustainable materials and innovative design solutions can foster an accessible and quality urban experience. Expected outcomes include the identification of principles and guidelines for designing more inclusive and sustainable urban spaces, contributing to the debate on how to rethink the relationship between design, context and people in light of environmental and social sustainability.

Giovanna Binetti Università degli Studi di Perugia. PhD in Design presso il Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Ambientale dell’Università di Perugia. È ricercatrice nel campo dell’ecodesign e dell’economia circolare, con particolare attenzione alla progettazione di sistemi e prodotti che promuovono un uso responsabile delle risorse.

Benedetta Terenzi Università degli Studi di Perugia. Architetto, PhD in Industrial Design, Environment and History, è docente di Design presso il Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Ambientale dell’Università di Perugia. I suoi temi di ricerca riguardano i processi e i metodi della progettazione sostenibile in chiave ambientale e sociale, con focus sulla valorizzazione del territorio e delle risorse locali.

Design per l’inclusione. Il progetto PLEINAIR

per ripensare gli spazi pubblici tra tecnologia, partecipazione

e benessere ambientale

Design for Inclusion. The PLEINAIR Project to Rethink Public Spaces Through Technology,

Participation, and Environmental Well-being

Sedentary behaviour, identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the leading risk factors for numerous chronic diseases, is responsible for approximately one million deaths annually across Europe. Promoting active lifestyles has therefore become a global public health priority. Among the WHO’s strategic recommendations, the development of accessible, safe, and stimulating public spaces emerges as a key lever for encouraging physical activity in everyday life. The PLEINAIR project (Free and Inclusive Parks in Network for Intergenerational Recreational and Physical Activity) is a completed research initiative funded by the POR FESR 2014–2020 program of the Emilia-Romagna Region. The project aimed to design inclusive urban environments that facilitate the adoption of healthy and active behaviours, particularly among populations at risk of exclusion. PLEINAIR addressed a broad spectrum of users, with specific attention to the diversity of physical abilities, age, and health conditions, in order to reduce barriers to autonomy and promote social inclusion. The research was conducted by a multidisciplinary consortium involving Italian universities (University of Ferrara, University of Bologna, University of Parma), innovative SMEs and companies (Data River, Ergotek, Sarba, mHT), and thirdsector organisations (AIAS Bologna Onlus). A distinctive feature of the project was the design and implementation of Outdoor Smart Objects (OSOs), a set of intelligent public-space devices embedded within an Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) infrastructure. These devices – such as smart benches, interactive tables, sensorized flooring, and adaptive planters – are equipped with sensors and actuators that enable them to identify users and dynamically adapt to their specific needs. The OSOs are capable of morphofunctional transformations, providing a safe and personalised user experience. The project adopted a Human-Centered Design methodology, integrating participatory processes to engage communities in the co-definition of needs and design solutions. Particular emphasis was placed on involving diverse user groups in the iterative development and testing phases. A key section of this paper will reconstruct the conceptual development of the OSOs – from early ideation to final implementation – highlighting the results of desirability and acceptability tests. These tests underscored the value of an iterative, adaptive design approach, grounded in direct user feedback and contextual analysis. Beyond the physical design of inclusive equipment, PLEINAIR proposes a broader vision of smart, health-oriented public spaces. The project also aims to develop a cloud-based platform for the community-level monitoring of physical activity, enhancing the long-term impact and scalability of the intervention. As such, PLEINAIR constitutes a significant case study in interdisciplinary urban innovation, demonstrating the necessity of collaboration among designers, engineers, and social scientists in addressing the multifaceted challenges of inclusive, technology-supported urban environments. The project contributes to the conceptualisation of the “right to the city” as a shared, inclusive spatial experience – accessible to all and responsive to the full spectrum of human diversity.

Michele Marchi Università degli Studi di Ferrara. Architetto e PhD, svolge ricerche presso il Dipartimento di Architettura riguardanti il rapporto tra spazio/servizio e inclusione. È consulente per enti e associazioni pubbliche e private sui temi riguardanti la diversità umana in differenti ambiti di intervento.

Giuseppe Mincolelli Università degli Studi di Ferrara. Professore ordinario di Design presso il Dipartimento di Architettura. Specializzato nello User-Centered e nello Inclusive Design, ha realizzato prodotti di grande serie per il settore informatico, delle telecomunicazioni, delle apparecchiature professionali.

Rethinking Public Spaces: a Hydroponic Solution for Food Security and Social Cohesion

Ripensare gli spazi pubblici:

una soluzione idroponica per la sicurezza alimentare e la coesione sociale

Il mondo contemporaneo è attraversato da crisi globali interconnesse di natura economica, sociale e ambientale. Le città stanno assumendo un ruolo sempre più centrale, diventando organismi complessi in cui diverse dimensioni si intrecciano e generano nuove sfide per il futuro. La crescita demografica e il modello di sviluppo urbano hanno accentuato criticità come la carenza di spazi verdi e la ridotta possibilità di socializzazione, incidendo direttamente sul benessere psicofisico della popolazione. Questi fattori influenzano profondamente la qualità della vita negli ambienti urbani, sia in termini di coesione sociale che di vivibilità degli spazi pubblici. Il sistema agroalimentare è uno dei settori più colpiti dagli effetti di questi problemi, diventando sempre meno efficace nel garantire un accesso equo e sostenibile al cibo e causando la diffusione dei cosiddetti “deserti alimentari”, aree urbane in cui l’approvvigionamento di alimenti freschi e nutrienti è estremamente limitato. In questo scenario, la rigenerazione degli spazi urbani assume un ruolo cruciale nel promuovere soluzioni innovative e inclusive. Il progetto MYCO si propone come una risposta concreta a queste problematiche, sfruttando la tecnologia per affrontare l’insicurezza alimentare e, al contempo, contrastare la carenza di spazi verdi e le limitate occasioni di socializzazione. MYCO è concepito come un prodotto-servizio che prevede l’installazione di dispositivi idroponici automatizzati – i MYCO-pod – in spazi pubblici, che consentono alle comunità di coltivare alimenti freschi a chilometro zero in modo sostenibile e condiviso. Questi dispositivi sono progettati in modo integrato con elementi di arredo urbano finalizzati a ridefinire e valorizzare lo spazio pubblico, trasformandolo in un luogo di aggregazione e partecipazione attiva. In questo modo, il sistema consente un servizio modulare, flessibile e adattabile a diversi contesti sociali e urbani, e la generazione di micro-paesaggi urbani in cui esseri umani, natura e tecnologia si integrano portando un miglioramento delle interazioni sociali e consentendo alle persone di riappropriarsi degli spazi pubblici. I MYCO-pod sono autosufficienti dal punto di vista energetico, in grado di regolare la produzione alimentare in base alle esigenze e di consentire la coltivazione durante tutto l’anno attraverso un sistema automatizzato. Il servizio correlato può essere fornito dall’amministrazione locale o da altri soggetti strutturati, ma viene gestito direttamente dai cittadini per mezzo di un’apposita associazione che lo rende accessibile alla popolazione coprendo i costi di gestione e manutenzione. MYCO è un modello scalabile e replicabile, capace di adattarsi a diversi contesti urbani, contribuendo alla transizione verso città più sostenibili e inclusive. Integrando approcci di smart city e innovazione sociale, il progetto dimostra come l’agricoltura urbana tecnologica possa diventare un motore di rigenerazione dello spazio pubblico, promuovendo il benessere collettivo e rafforzando i legami comunitari.

Giovanni Borga Università Iuav di Venezia. Researcher in Design, he works on Interaction Design, Data Visualization, Web Design, monitoring systems with IoT technologies and Geographic Information Systems. Recent research topics focus on digital technologies for Circular Economy and Circular Design.

Davide Todde Università Iuav di Venezia. Product designer with a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Sassari and a Master’s degree in Product Design from Università Iuav di Venezia. He is interested in sustainability, technological and social innovation, and their connection with Design in shaping future scenarios.

Riccardo Varini Università degli Studi di San Marino. Architect and Designer. Professor at the University of San Marino, director of Design Bachelor Degree, member of the Academic Senate, he founded the Community Design Research Unit, that deals with the dialogic relationships that strategic, systemic and material design can establish with local communities.

Gli spazi verdi delle Case della Comunità: opportunità per promuovere la salute e la qualità ambientale Community Health Centres’

Green Spaces: Opportunities to Promote Health and Environmental Quality

Among urban natural outdoor areas, the open spaces of Case della Comunità (CdC) play a particularly significant role in receiving and fostering social inclusion within communities, and the design of these spaces must ensure accessibility and usability for all neighborhood residents. These spaces hold significant potential for promoting health, not only for specific users but for the broader community as well, as they can enhance quality of life, improve health and support physical and psychological well-being by providing opportunities for restoration, physical activity and positive social interactions. Despite the growing attention to the design of CdC in recent years – particularly in light of the healthcare reform enacted through D.M. 77/2022 – the role of open spaces remains an underexplored topic within scientific literature. As a result, public administrations and design professionals involved in the new construction or renovation of CdC currently lack specific guidelines to inform the development of these outdoor areas. To address these issues, the study reviewed relevant scientific literature and analysed national and international case studies of healthcare facilities incorporating Nature-Based Solutions, biophilic architecture, waiting areas and spaces for physical activity designed to promote health and therapeutic gardens. This material was used to conduct an exploratory study of the open spaces in existing facilities, combining on-site inspections with dialogues with the healthcare staff and end-users. Through interviews and the use of selected images from case studies to support the discussion, it was possible to develop a shared understanding of the potential uses and activities that could be implemented in these outdoor spaces (e.g. waiting areas for users and caregivers, staff relax areas, recreation and socialisation areas, physical activity spaces, children’s playgrounds, horticultural therapy gardens, etc.).

This contribution outlines the strategic directions for the creation of green spaces within CdC, capable of enhancing environmental quality, fostering social inclusion and improving human health, and highlights the types of activities that can be integrated into the outdoor spaces of CdC to transform them into active promoters of health.

Laura Sacchetti     Università di Firenze, Centro Tesis. Architetta, PhD e assegnista di ricerca presso l’Università di Firenze nell’ambito della Tecnologia dell’architettura, si occupa della progettazione degli spazi della salute nelle strutture per le cure primarie, e in particolare dell’applicazione di soluzioni basate sulla natura negli spazi outdoor.

Elena Bellini Università di Firenze, Centro Tesis. Architetta, PhD con tesi su autism-friendly e sensory design, con cui vince il premio FUP 2018. Assegnista di ricerca e docente a contratto presso il DIDA–UNIFI. Cofounder della startup DU IT srl, co-CEO e responsabile R&D. Si occupa di progettazione inclusiva negli spazi educativi e sanitari.

Nicoletta Setola Università di Firenze, Centro Tesis. Architetta, PhD, professoressa associata presso il Dipartimento di Architettura dell’Università degli Studi di Firenze. La sua ricerca si concentra su edilizia socio-sanitaria e impatto dell’ambiente costruito sulla salute e sui comportamenti delle persone.

Profili dei curatori/Editors Profiles

Cristiana Cellucci

Professoressa associata in Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura presso l’Università Iuav di Venezia. Si occupa di fattore umano come parte integrante della progettazione e di implementazione dei requisiti di flessibilità, inclusività e benessere attraverso soluzioni che migliorano le interazioni degli utenti con luoghi, attrezzature e tecnologie.

Associate professor of Technological and Environmental Design of Architecture at Università Iuav di Venezia. She deals with the human factor as an integral part of the design and implementation of flexibility, inclusiveness and well-being requirements through solutions that improve user interactions with places, equipment and technologies.

Rosaria Revellini

Assegnista di ricerca postdoc in Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura presso l’Università Iuav di Venezia. Si occupa di temi legati all’accessibilità ambientale con particolare attenzione alle age-friendly cities and communities. È vicedirettrice della rivista scientifica OFFICINA*.

Postdoc research fellow in Technological and Environmental Design of Architecture at Università Iuav di Venezia. She deals with issues related to environmental accessibility with particular attention to age-friendly cities and communities. She is deputy director of the scientific journal OFFICINA*.

Valeria Tatano

Professoressa ordinaria in Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura presso l’Università Iuav di Venezia. Si occupa di progettazione inclusiva e di tecnologie innovative nel rapporto tra architettura e tecnica, in particolare per quanto riguarda i temi del progetto consapevole.

Full professor of Technological and Environmental Design of Architecture at Università Iuav di Venezia. She deals with inclusive design and innovative technologies in the relationship between architecture and technique, in particular with regard to the themes of conscious design.

Dario Trabucco

Professore associato in Progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell’architettura presso l’Università Iuav di Venezia. Svolge attività di ricerca su accessibilità e sostenibilità ambientale nel mondo delle costruzioni, LCA e individuazione delle soluzioni tecnologiche e costruttive che minimizzano l’energia incorporata negli edifici.

Associate professor in Technological and Environmental Design of Architecture at Università Iuav di Venezia. He carries out research on accessibility and environmental sustainability in the world of construction, LCA and identification of technological and construction solutions that minimise the energy incorporated into buildings.

STRADE PER LA GENTE

Le persone negli spazi aperti: progetti, pratiche e ricerche per il benessere psicofisico

STREETS FOR PEOPLE

Individuals in outdoor environments: projects, practices and research for the psychophysical well-being

novembre 2025

Anteferma Open Books – AOB

Il volume affronta il tema degli spazi pubblici come luoghi in cui poter vivere una esperienza spaziale autonoma e non segregante, attraverso riflessioni e proposte raccolte in forma di contributi per il Convegno Internazionale dal titolo Strade per la gente, organizzato a Venezia il 7 novembre 2025. Il Convegno nasce dalla volontà del cluster Accessibilità Ambientale della Società Italiana della Tecnologia dell’Architettura SITdA di dare continuità agli incontri di confronto organizzati negli ultimi anni sui temi del benessere psicofisico e dell’autonomia di vita delle persone, per migliorare sempre di più il mondo dell’architettura ai fini dell’inclusività.

The volume addresses the theme of public spaces as places where people can experience spatial autonomy and non-segregating environments. It brings together reflections and proposals presented as papers to the International Conference Streets for People, held in Venice on November 7, 2025.

The Conference originates from the desire of the Accessibilità Ambientale (Environmental Accessibility) cluster of the Società Italiana di Tecnologia dell’Architettura (SITdA) to continue the series of meetings held in recent years on the themes of psychophysical wellbeing and people’s life autonomy, with the aim of increasingly improving inclusivity in architecture.