Il laboratorio di co-progettazione come strumento di ricerca-azione per il progetto dello spazio pubblico

The various and complex dynamics that characterise urban regeneration processes in the contemporary city call for the experimentation of alternative models, tools and methods for the urban project. The co-design workshop linked with an action-research approach describes an effective working tool capable to reactivate and transform the spaces of the city, unfolding and revealing unexpressed potential, experimenting with unconventional uses and directly involving communities that live and recognize themselves in a specific urban context. Beyond the physical transformation of space, co-planning, co-production, self-construction and co-management are key moments that contribute to the the making of these places and of the community that can take care of it. The actions implemented by the ROCK project on Piazza Scaravilli, a public space in the core of the university area of Bologna (Italy), introduced here as a case study, represent a significant experience to clarify this methodological approach. Between 2017 and 2019, three opportunities for discussion, design and self-construction saw the involvement of students from different Departments of the University of Bologna, architectural offices, local companies, cultural entities, associations, citizens and stakeholders. The result was the transformation a square from a private parking area to a permanent urban garden, reactivating its natural vocation as a community space and demonstrating the value of the co-design workshop as a useful and effective desing tool.