The Isolotto Neighborhood in Florence: Regeneration between Public Policies and Private Actions

Elisabetta M. Bello

Department of Architecture and Urban Studies of the Polytechnic of Milan, Italy

Abstract: Problems relating to the regeneration of many urban spaces, inherited from the Modern age, and the adaptation to new uses and populations have appeared following the economic crisis that hit Italy. They relate, in particular, the open spaces of the public city of the twentieth century. An incredible heritage, for vastness and quality, which seems an excellent potential strategic support for the future urban and regional regeneration, but poses huge maintenance and redesign issues. The article attempts to reflect on the critical conditions faced by some parts of the public city in the Isolotto neighborhood in Florence: spaces often inadequate compared to new ways of living, and as such largely under-utilized compared to the functions that could perform. From this hypothesis, the work aims to observe policies and projects in place for the regeneration of open spaces and understand how these actions are interlinked, colliding or converging, with modification practices of spaces conducted by the inhabitants. The Isolotto neighborhood is a very interesting context in which to observe this double action, public and private, because what remains of the original neighborhood is both the subject of new design conduct by public institutions, and of different uses operated by the settled population.

Key words: open spaces, urban regeneration, social housing