Quality of Public Spaces and Sustainable Urban Development: Success and Failures in Fighting Social Exclusion

Abstract

Sustainable Urban Development embeds the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic. The European Commission position on Sustainable Urban Development reflects this concept, recommending an integrated approach paying attention to several intertwined factors, including the quality of public spaces. In European cities, poverty issues and exclusion are particularly acute. Inclusive growth is one of the main drivers of the Europe 2020 strategy, thus, it is expected that actions for fighting social exclusion are significant in deprived urban areas. However, in the EC approach still policies for social inclusion tend to remain relegated to the socio-economic sphere, with a weak link to the physical element as specific matter of concern. This paper aims at discussing the role played by the spatial quality of public spaces in supporting social integration, by focussing on a case study in Italy. More in details, the paper discusses the effects of public policies undertaken in the 1990s by the City of Reggio Calabria to reduce poverty for the Roma people, by displacing those inhabiting squalid and unhealthy camps to council housing in two neighbourhoods with a different quality of public spaces. In one area the displacement happened successfully, in the other, social issues plague the community. The paper aims at investigating the influence of the quality of public spaces on the displacement outcomes. The research methodology is mainly qualitative and is based on field work complemented by photo survey and interviews. The paper suggests that the spatial quality of the public spaces might have contributed to exacerbate social conflict and detachment in the unsuccessful case. It is therefore recommended to incorporate a significant component on the public space inclusive design in any socioeconomic intervention aimed at overcoming social exclusion.

Understanding Urban Planning Outcomes in the UK

“…On the other hand, economic and ecological drivers of distress such as water insecurity (Tallman, 2019), neighbourhood poverty (Buffel et al, 2013), and environmental perceptions (e.g., perceived danger) (Jones et al, 2021) underline the influence of insufficient urban planning in terms of social consequences and mental health outcomes (Barros et al, 2019). Place attachment, sense of community, and social cohesion are extensively researched from the perspectives of built environment professionals in terms of understanding the effects of urban design and planning in encouraging social interactions and overcoming social exclusion (Trillo, 2017). Assessment tools that underpin theoretical frameworks like social cohesion and social capital measures like social interactions, community engagement, and social networks are often adopted to assess the impacts of physical environment planning at a neighbourhood scale (Cabrera & Najarian, 2015;Mazumdar et al, 2018).…”

Role of Social Inclusion in Sustainable Urban Developments: An Analyse by PRISMA Technique

“…It necessitates a high degree of integration in public spaces, with a particular emphasis on spatial quality. The main driver of long-term development is inclusive growth [7]. Women must have access to education and health services in order to achieve long-term growth [8].…”