Regenerative Urban Space: A Box for Public Space Use
139
Indeed, the dynamism of change is representative of place quality. This statement fully explains our project proposal. Multifunctionality is hereby assumed as
a mandatory characteristic for the redevelopment of public space. It is used with
twofold meanings: multifunctional use of space as the interrelation between functional, social, and morphological possibilities, in which activities can be integrated
and coexist simultaneously; multifunctionality over time of the object as its potential
and useful transformation, guaranteeing new lives to it.
The activation of regeneration projects through a strategic approach based on a
gradual reactivation, on the promotion and active involvement of multiple actors,
increases the attractiveness and quality of the urban environment in order to satisfy
needs and reach the greatest number of users. The result of these actions enables
to ‘achieve something greater than the sum of the parts,’ determining an increase in
the value of the space for the benefit of the community (Stiles 2009). The gradual
reactivation allows for an economically feasible action, monitoring the results over
time, and an urban regeneration process, replicable in different contexts thanks to its
adaptability.
2 The Contemporary City as MultiplyCITY: The
Framework
The contemporary city can become an experimental center of progress and creativity,
also thanks to the adoption of new drivers for sustainable growth, innovation, creation
and dissemination of knowledge and information: These processes tend to benefit
greatly from the physical proximity and diversity offered by cities, especially the
large ones (Santagata 2009).
Within the recognizable image of the city network of spaces, hierarchies, and
connectivity (Lynch 1960), the public space plays a strategic role to foster city vitality, individual fruition and social condensation, becoming a magnetic space admitting aggregation, hosting activities and offering opportunities (Carta spazio pubblico
2009).
Urban open spaces of citizenship nuclei are cornerstones on which to found
improvement. They are the starting points to propose a space assuming a sharing
and cohesion significance, thus producing a supplementary value based on the relations it establishes between the primary functions (by design) and the complementary
functions (already present on the territory) (Ginelli 2015).
The call ‘UnBox 2017: ReThinking Containers’ announced by Volzero
1 addresses
the themes of reuse and recycling through the Realization of architectural works that
contribute to the urban regeneration of city public spaces, in a scenario of multiple
initiatives concerning the reference framework synthetically illustrated below and
particularly the circular economy.
1 Volzero: a digital platform that deals, through works, with the themes of architecture, design and
landscape, promoting competitions aimed at young designers and students (www.volzero.com).
139
Indeed, the dynamism of change is representative of place quality. This statement fully explains our project proposal. Multifunctionality is hereby assumed as
a mandatory characteristic for the redevelopment of public space. It is used with
twofold meanings: multifunctional use of space as the interrelation between functional, social, and morphological possibilities, in which activities can be integrated
and coexist simultaneously; multifunctionality over time of the object as its potential
and useful transformation, guaranteeing new lives to it.
The activation of regeneration projects through a strategic approach based on a
gradual reactivation, on the promotion and active involvement of multiple actors,
increases the attractiveness and quality of the urban environment in order to satisfy
needs and reach the greatest number of users. The result of these actions enables
to ‘achieve something greater than the sum of the parts,’ determining an increase in
the value of the space for the benefit of the community (Stiles 2009). The gradual
reactivation allows for an economically feasible action, monitoring the results over
time, and an urban regeneration process, replicable in different contexts thanks to its
adaptability.
2 The Contemporary City as MultiplyCITY: The
Framework
The contemporary city can become an experimental center of progress and creativity,
also thanks to the adoption of new drivers for sustainable growth, innovation, creation
and dissemination of knowledge and information: These processes tend to benefit
greatly from the physical proximity and diversity offered by cities, especially the
large ones (Santagata 2009).
Within the recognizable image of the city network of spaces, hierarchies, and
connectivity (Lynch 1960), the public space plays a strategic role to foster city vitality, individual fruition and social condensation, becoming a magnetic space admitting aggregation, hosting activities and offering opportunities (Carta spazio pubblico
2009).
Urban open spaces of citizenship nuclei are cornerstones on which to found
improvement. They are the starting points to propose a space assuming a sharing
and cohesion significance, thus producing a supplementary value based on the relations it establishes between the primary functions (by design) and the complementary
functions (already present on the territory) (Ginelli 2015).
The call ‘UnBox 2017: ReThinking Containers’ announced by Volzero
1 addresses
the themes of reuse and recycling through the Realization of architectural works that
contribute to the urban regeneration of city public spaces, in a scenario of multiple
initiatives concerning the reference framework synthetically illustrated below and
particularly the circular economy.
1 Volzero: a digital platform that deals, through works, with the themes of architecture, design and
landscape, promoting competitions aimed at young designers and students (www.volzero.com).