Speaker
Description
Urban contexts today face escalating challenges, including climate change, spatial fragmentation, and growing social inequalities, which threaten their livability and resilience. Addressing these complexities demands transformative approaches that balance environmental sustainability and social equity to reimagine urban areas as cohesive, inclusive, and resilient spaces.
A sustainable future for urban environments requires rethinking development strategies to avoid further land consumption while addressing existing spatial challenges. Within this framework, disused railway areas emerge as key sites for innovative regeneration. These spaces, often characterized by their significant scale and strategic location, hold untapped potential to reconnect fragmented urban fabrics, mitigate ecological challenges, and foster social cohesion. Their transformation represents an opportunity to explore globally relevant strategies for achieving sustainable urban regeneration with substantial local impact.
This contribution emphasizes the importance of integrating social dimensions into the redevelopment of disused railway areas. While environmental and economic considerations have traditionally dominated planning practices, social impacts must be equally prioritized to ensure that redevelopment initiatives meet the complex needs of contemporary urban contexts. By adopting Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and leveraging ecosystem services, these underutilized spaces can be reimagined as dynamic hubs that promote inclusion, interaction, and well-being.
An initial exploration of these themes highlights the critical role of Social Impact Assessment (SIA) in guiding planning processes. Evaluating metrics such as access to green spaces, enhanced community cohesion, and improved quality of life provides a robust framework for understanding how regeneration projects affect diverse populations, particularly vulnerable groups. This ensures that interventions align with the aspirations of local communities while addressing broader urban challenges.
By focusing on the strategic redevelopment of disused railway areas, this contribution illustrates their potential to transform into green and inclusive corridors that address both environmental and social needs. These spaces can be activated through participatory planning processes that empower local stakeholders, fostering a sense of ownership and ensuring that projects respond to community needs. Such approaches not only enhance the legitimacy of planning initiatives but also strengthen social bonds in areas undergoing change, addressing inequalities and promoting shared benefits.
In an era marked by climate emergencies and growing disparities, integrating social equity into urban regeneration is essential. Urban planning must adopt transformative approaches that go beyond traditional paradigms, weaving innovative and inclusive narratives into the context of redevelopment strategies. This contribution advocates for a transformative shift in planning strategies that place equal emphasis on environmental sustainability and social impact, ensuring that the well-being of urban communities remains a central objective in shaping the future of urban contexts.
References
• Corvo, L., Pastore, L., Masci, G. & Iannacci, D. (2021) ‘Deep dive on impact assessment in urban regeneration. Legitimization and conflict mediation, is SIA ready? An exploratory case study on urban regeneration in Italy.’ EURAM 2021 (European Academy of Management) Conference: Reshaping capitalism for a sustainable world, ISSN 2466-7498, ISBN 978-2-9602195-3-1. Most Inspirational Paper Award - SIG 01: Business for Society (B4S).
• Corvo, L., Pastore, L., Manti, A. & Iannacci, D. (2021) ‘Deep dive on impact assessment models - Mapping Social Impact Assessment Models: A Literature Overview for a Future Research Agenda.’ Sustainability, 13(9), 4750. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094750
• Tricarico, L., Bitetti, R. & Leone, M. I. (2021) ‘L’innovazione sociale nelle politiche urbane: Un caso studio nel contesto italiano.’ Territorio, 2021(96). Available at: [online].
• Chiesi, L., Costa, P., Ciaravella, F. & Galmarini, B. (2023) ‘Re-naturalizing the Built Environment: Plants, Architecture, and Pedagogy in Contemporary Green Schools.’ Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 6, 1397159. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2023.1397159
| Keywords | Social impact assessment; Nature-Based Solutions; Disused railway areas; Impact-driven planning |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
