Collective participation for the sustainable redevelopment of degraded environments and urban public space

The use of participatory processes as useful tools for the regeneration of the built environment is urgently topical, also in view of the inclusive forms of decision-making that have been introduced for years by ministerial and European standards. The research is part of a well-structured cultural and regulatory context characterised by new and interesting experiments in the field. Studying the participatory process as a useful strategy for conflict management and for the construction of new regenerative models in fact also implies a clarification of "what is meant by participation and the participatory project. At the same time, as widely testified to by the production of manuals in recent years, doing participatory projects requires not only adequate technical preparation, but also specific knowledge of the tools and languages of interaction. This contribution describes an experimental participatory design intervention carried out in the Vucciria market district in Palermo. The subject of the design experience is the construction of a "cultural district" in the historic city as a propulsive place for the valorisation and development of the local reality. The participatory approach focused on the existing urban structure starting from the direct knowledge of the needs expressed by the users and the desire to plan and build poles of cultural and social interest to support the citizens. For the study and consultation with the inhabitants, the citizenship workshop 'Via dei Cassari' was set up. The direct impact with social listening and with the material reality of the physical context has effectively spurred the design process, demonstrating how much the direct acquisition of local problems can concretely contribute to the quality of the project, both in terms of optimisation of the specific functional needs, and in terms of generating performance marked by environmental resilience.