Introduction by Marzia Aricò
If you follow my work regularly, you may have noticed that in 2024, I have been increasingly busy applying strategic design principles to the design and redesign of cities. A few months ago, I was asked to co-author an article sharing some reflections that have emerged thus far for the Communities’ Sustainable Experiences collection, part of The Urban Thinkers Campus 2024. I wrote the article with two exceptional researchers from Politecnico di Milano, Alexandra Coutsoucos and Annalinda De Rosa. The original academic article was titled ‘Regeneration Practices for Community Engagement: Co-Designing Spaces and Services for Social and Territorial Cohesion’ and was published by Altralinea Edizioni (2024).
I’m aware that not everyone is inclined to read a full academic article, so below, you will find a selection of the content highlighting the main reflections and findings, written in more accessible language for a wider audience of design practitioners and leaders.
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“The true dimension of cities is not space, but time.”
Konstantinos Doxiadis
The Role of Public Spaces
Public spaces—such as parks, plazas, and community centres—are vital for social interaction and community cohesion. They are more than just functional areas; they hold significant phenomenological meaning, shaping how people connect with their environment and each other. In today’s rapidly evolving urban and rural landscapes, the challenge is to design these spaces in ways that respond to modern complexities while fostering a sense of belonging and identity.
Service design (SD), with its emphasis on understanding user needs and experiences, provides a powerful framework for this task. By involving communities in the design process, SD helps create spaces that not only meet functional requirements but also resonate with the people who use them.
Case Studies
Our reflections emerge from the analysis of three distinct case studies in which at least one of the authors was involved as a researcher or Service Design practitioner. The projects all aimed to utilise service design to effectively engage communities in the transformation of public spaces:
A small city in Portugal: This project focused on converting an old oil refinery into a carbon-negative city dedicated to future energy innovations. The design team engaged deeply with the local community, incorporating their input into the masterplan. Although the project faced political hurdles that led to its suspension, the engagement process proved invaluable, highlighting the importance of integrating local narratives and political awareness into design projects.
A large city in Southeast Asia: Here, the focus was on regenerating a vast, underdeveloped area into a transit-oriented, mixed-use development. The project required aligning various stakeholders, including architects, urban planners, and tech experts. The service design team employed participatory methods to ensure the project met the community's needs and integrated cultural and mobility considerations. This approach resulted in innovative service models that connected the site with its broader urban context.
A remote rural village in Italy: In this small rural town, the project aimed to rejuvenate underutilised areas to attract a wider demographic. The design team, working alongside local stakeholders, used participatory techniques to explore new cultural and economic activities. This process revealed the importance of adapting activities to the local pace and values, ultimately fostering a more engaged and empowered community.
Key Insights for Design Practitioners
The insights that emerged can be summarised in four main areas:
1. Igniting Community Agency
A core principle of service design is involving 'users' in the design process. This approach was crucial across all three projects, where engaging local communities presented challenges related to trust and legitimacy. In the Portuguese case, for example, community scepticism about the project’s goals was addressed through active listening and empathy. Participatory methods, such as interviews and workshops, helped surface local needs and fostered a sense of ownership and agency.
Similarly, in the case of the remote village in Italy, the project faced political unrest that affected community consensus. This highlighted the need for design processes to be flexible and sensitive to local dynamics. Agency in this context extends beyond simple participation; it involves navigating complex social, political, and economic layers to empower communities meaningfully.
2. The Role of Human-Centred Storytelling
Large-scale urban regeneration projects often involve multiple stakeholders with diverse expertise and goals. In the Southeast Asian project, storytelling became a crucial tool for aligning these varied perspectives. By creating visual narratives that illustrated how different design elements would interact with human experiences, the design team helped stakeholders see the project as a cohesive whole. This human-centred storytelling facilitated better coordination and understanding, ensuring that the final design was both integrated and responsive to user needs.
In the Portuguese case, storytelling helped bridge the gap between the detailed, expert perspectives and the broader vision of the project. This approach enabled the design team to present a unified vision that connected different design elements and highlighted their interdependencies, thus enhancing the project's coherence and effectiveness.
3. Inspiring Sustainable and Inclusive Service Systems
Participatory design can drive the creation of sustainable and inclusive service systems. In all three projects, involving local stakeholders in the design process was crucial for uncovering unique opportunities and challenges. The Portuguese project, for instance, identified key institutional anchors that shaped the site’s functional and cultural program. This approach moves away from top-down planning towards solutions that are tailored to the specific needs and aspirations of the community.
By integrating local knowledge and resources, service design can develop systems that are not only innovative but also deeply rooted in the community's context. This results in solutions that are more sustainable and inclusive, addressing both local and global needs.
4. Co-Design as an Act of Place-Making
In the case of the remote village in Italy, the co-design process went beyond creating physical spaces to act as a form of place-making. By engaging the community in reimagining their environment, the design team helped strengthen the connection between people and places. This process not only revitalised physical spaces but also imbued them with cultural and social significance.
Co-design practices serve as a bridge between bottom-up and top-down approaches, fostering a collaborative environment where community members play an active role in shaping their surroundings. This approach empowers residents, enhancing their sense of belonging and ownership while transforming their relationship with the places they inhabit.
Designing for Meaningful Change
The experiences from these projects demonstrate that service design, when combined with participatory and co-creative approaches, can significantly impact how we engage with and transform public spaces. By prioritising community involvement, storytelling, and sustainability, design practitioners can create environments that are not only functional but also deeply meaningful.
For those involved in design and urban planning, the key takeaway is that community engagement is not just a step in the process—it’s a fundamental element that drives the success and relevance of design interventions. By listening to and empowering communities and integrating their needs into the design process, we can create public spaces that truly reflect and enhance their identities and aspirations.
As we continue to explore new ways to engage with communities and design for their needs, let’s keep these insights in mind to foster environments that are resilient, inclusive, and connected.