Silent Sea. Coastal Spatial Planning and Public Participation in the Regeneration of Palermo’s South Coast

The regeneration of contemporary waterfronts requires integrated strategies in which spatial planning, environmental restoration, and community participation collectively contribute to the development of new models of urban transformation. This paper examines the case of Palermo’s South Coast, currently undergoing an extensive regeneration programme embedded within the coastal spatial planning strategy promoted by the Municipal Administration. Conceived as both a thematic and a design-oriented precursor to the new Municipal Master Plan, this planning framework provides the context for analysing the Silent Sea (Mare Muto) project, promoted by the Department of Architecture of the University of Palermo, as an experience in participatory spatial planning aimed at the co-production of shared scenarios for waterfront regeneration. Through the active involvement of public institutions, schools, associations, and local communities, the project demonstrates how participation can become a structural component of urban regeneration processes, contributing not only to the quality of spatial transformation but also to the re-establishment of the relationship between the city and the sea, the strengthening of local identity, and the promotion of active citizenship.