Inclusive engagement for vulnerable population in co-creating Nature-Based Solutions: the case of “Villaggio Barona” social housing within the CLEVER Cities project

In the context of the EU-funded CLEVER Cities project, the imperative inclusion of all citizens and stakeholders in a collaborative design process was paramount. This paper focuses on the co-design pathway developed by the Urban Living Lab 1 in Milan, namely CLEVER Action Lab.1 (CAL1), following the CLEVER Co-Creation Guidance. Emphasizing engagement, this pathway facilitated the involvement of citizens and local stakeholders in implementing nature-based solutions (green roofs and walls), amidst challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Confronted with restrictions on physical co-creation activities, CAL1 adapted by conducting all co-design activities online within the four selected pilot projects. One of these pilot projects, the subject of this paper, consists of building four green roofs on terraces of social housing buildings named “Villaggio Barona” situated southwest of Milan. Different vulnerable groups of people live in each of the buildings, including the elderly, people with HIV/AIDS, and people with psychiatric illnesses, while one of the buildings is open for public use. The aim of this paper is manifold. By in-depth narrating the co-creation activities of NBS in “Villaggio Barona”, the paper will show all the impacts that challenged the implementation of green roofs. To critically discuss the role of the participants and the tools employed throughout all the phases of co-creation, the paper revolves around the question of accessibility, inclusion, and social innovation. It will provide insights on how the elderly were engaged during the online co-design activities, which served in bridging the “digital gap” that affects mostly this group of people.