Conference article

“The Neighbourhood as Commons” is a public policy that involves every Reggio Emilia’s neighbourhood in a massive co-design process with citizens, associations and various stakeholders to develop innovative services aiming at improving the quality of community life and urban environment. The main objective of the municipality is to guide a transition from a public participation - in the traditional sense - to a responsible civic protagonism, both in associative and individual form. Through the “Citizenship laboratories”, participants are called to co-design a concrete activity that is formalised into a “Citizenship Agreement” and becomes an actual public-interest service. The key role is played by the Neighbourhood Architect: a representative of the municipality who is entitled to guide the whole process. Currently, 25 Citizenship Agreements have been signed by 695 actors (profit/no profit association and citizens) involved in 152 projects related to a variety of areas, such as urban agriculture, sustainable mobility, community welfare and digital innovation.

service design, massive co-design, public participation