Doing and redoing – Opportunities and limits of co-design for public and welfare spaces

Authors

  • Cristian Campagnaro Politecnico di Torino (Italy)
  • Daniele Ronsivalle University of Palermo (Italy)
  • Nicolò Di Prima Politecnico di Torino (Italy)
  • Giorgia Curtabbi Politecnico di Torino (Italy)
  • Raffaele Passaro Politecnico di Torino (Italy)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.69143/2464-9309/17212025

Keywords:

participatory design, urban design, public spaces, design for social innovation, community activation

Abstract

The article explores the action-research experiences conducted by the Social Design Lab of the Politecnico di Torino and the Augmented City Lab of the University of Palermo, two research groups experimenting with participatory design approaches to address complex social challenges. The discussion covers different urban regeneration projects and co-design of spaces for public services, tools for social inclusion, and the transformation of local welfare systems. The role of participatory design and co-creation in promoting the active involvement of stakeholders is analysed, questioning the lasting impacts in terms of inclusion, care, and collective responsibility for the implemented interventions. The critical reflection also concerns the sustainability of these processes and their potential to trigger organisational and policy-related changes.

 

Article info

Received: 25/03/2025; Revised: 22/04/2025; Accepted: 23/04/2025

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Author Biographies

Cristian Campagnaro, Politecnico di Torino (Italy)

PhD, he is a Full Professor of Design. He coordinates the Polito Centre for the Social. His research focuses on design for sustainability, design for social inclusion, and design for participatory processes.
E-mail: cristian.campagnaro@polito.it

Daniele Ronsivalle, University of Palermo (Italy)

PhD, he is an Associate Professor of Urban Planning. He has 20 years of experience in theoretical and applied research in urban planning, particularly in landscape planning, culture-based urban planning activities, and urban regeneration programs.
E-mail: daniele.ronsivalle@unipa.it

Nicolò Di Prima, Politecnico di Torino (Italy)

Designer and PhD, he is an Anthropologist and Researcher at the Department of Architecture and Design. His research interests include the relationship between design and anthropology, material culture studies, circular economy, and the social impact of design.
E-mail: nicolo.diprima@polito.it

Giorgia Curtabbi, Politecnico di Torino (Italy)

She is a Systemic Designer and PhD in Management, Production, and Design. Her research interests mainly concern design for inclusion and social impact, also explored through collaborations in co-creation and co-evaluation processes with institutional and Third-Sector Organisations. 
E-mail: giorgia.curtabbi@polito.it

Raffaele Passaro, Politecnico di Torino (Italy)

Designer and PhD, he is a Researcher at the Department of Architecture and Design, where he coordinates the PoliTo Food Design Lab. His research interests include food design applied to agri-food supply chains and social impact in design.
E-mail: raffaele.passaro@polito.it

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A phase of co-realisation in Favara (credit: ACL, 2022). AGATHÓN 17 | 2025

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Published

30-06-2025

How to Cite

Campagnaro, C., Ronsivalle, D., Di Prima, N., Curtabbi, G. and Passaro, R. (2025) “Doing and redoing – Opportunities and limits of co-design for public and welfare spaces”, AGATHÓN | International Journal of Architecture, Art and Design, 17, pp. 310–323. doi: 10.69143/2464-9309/17212025.

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