Regenerating Public Housing, Regenerating Cities. Lessons from Italy.
Since the 1990s, Italy has developed a tradition of urban regeneration programmes, some of which focused specifically on public housing. However, public housing estates still tend to be among the most disadvantaged spaces in Italian cities, displaying multidimensional (social, spatial, economic, structural) criticalities. Regeneration is urgently needed, particularly in light of long waiting lists, widespread vacancy, and the near-total halt in new construction, against the backdrop of reduced investment and the abolition of structural funds for the sector. The presentation explores how public housing regeneration—understood in a broad sense, from top-down policies to bottom-up initiatives—can contribute to the regeneration of Italian cities more widely. Drawing on examples from five medium-sized cities—Trieste, Bologna, Firenze, Bari, and Catania—it highlights how public housing challenges are addressed by key actors in different local contexts. These cases demonstrate that even in contexts characterized by inertia and structural constraints, there are still margins for manoeuvre and potential for innovation.
When: Monday, April 28, 2025, 5:00–6:30 PM
Link: https://rwth.zoom-x.de/j/68406450492?pwd=7CvsjJIUb9OM3r90bKJ2ZdQb9WaJmo.1
Meeting-ID: 684 0645 0492
Kenncode: 936550