Synergies between urban regeneration and grassroots
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School of Arts, Design and Architecture |
Master's thesis
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Authors
Pilipaviciute, Egle
Date
2021
Department
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
Master’s Programme in Urban Studies and Planning
Language
en
Pages
166+16
Series
Abstract
Cities are facing new adaptation challenges with growing and mixing populations and an increase in socio-cultural heterogeneity. Rome is experiencing occupations, evictions and too slow processes in urban regeneration of abandoned, misused buildings and areas. Informal placemaking (squatting) is one of the grassroots tools to improve collective and personal living conditions, address inequality, deprivation, inclusion issues, and empower residents. The thesis aims to deepen the knowledge in spontaneous placemaking trend, identify the transformative grassroots potential, and suggest strategic recommendations for more inclusive and just urban regeneration. A combination of qualitative, quantitative, explorative, and partially participatory methods was used to understand grassroots, social networks, and the historical and socio-economic context framing a particular Tuscolano district in Rome. The extensive research revealed that the left out (marginalised) society insurges in times of crisis, socio-cultural deprivation and threat of gentrification. Civic societies request to incorporate the right to the city concept into the urban regeneration strategies, challenging the current planning practices. The inclusive design, distribution and management of public space and urban commons is the main focus of the grassroots community. The strategic recommendation acts as a toolkit for grassroots and experts to co-create temporary third places with the potential permanent changes. The main premises of the toolkit are public space appropriation, access, diversity and social interaction through location-based program resulting in commons by design. Proposed designs focus on the third spaces for social encounter, social innovation and cultural diversity. The use of the power of mobilisation, social innovation, and local knowledge helps to improve urban conditions in collaborative ways and assure inclusive coexistence in the city of possibilities.Description
Supervisor
Teräväinen, HelenaThesis advisor
Galanakis, MichailHewidy, Hossam
Keywords
right to the city, urban regeneration, grassroots, squatting, placemaking, social innovation