Collaboration in public space management: conditions, opportunities, risks

Answering what makes a city livable is a difficult task. Cultural, social, historical, and environmental variables suggest different responses. One needs political-economic stability, urban security, health and education services, cultural facilities, hygienic and ecological qualities, and efficient infrastructure. Ultimately, however, a livable city is a "just" city. It should not only equip with the services mentioned above. It should also provide opportunities for employment and social and cultural growth. Moreover, it should ensure access for all. Therefore, a livable city should be sufficiently diverse to be inclusive and meet every citizen's needs starting with the most fragile (children, the elderly, women, and people with various disabilities). From this point of view, it becomes essential for cities to have accessible open spaces, capable of being spaces of opportunity: where people can socialize, multiple practices can happen, where users can experiment with their sense of identity, belonging, and self-expression in the most diverse forms (from art to the possibility of care). Starting from some cases of public spaces in European cities - Milan and London - the paper investigates the nexus between forms of collaboration and management of public space, with the hypothesis that this nexus has relevant effects in the construction of conditions of livability. The paper considers some recent experiences of collaboration between local authorities, citizens, and local associations in the design, implementation, and management of public spaces (such as participatory budget projects, tactical urbanism, community gardens, and spaces adopted by residents). It proposes some considerations regarding how some social activation processes have returned new public spaces to the city and how public space, in turn, can be a tool for activating social and caring relationships and strengthening social ties. Contributing this way to the livability of the city.