Situated partnerships to face food waste within a neighborhood based food redistribution service: the case of "SOSpesa"

Neighborhoods can be seen as experimental hubs where innovative design strategies are tested within local communities, addressing the social and environmental issues that impact global cities and promoting more equitable futures. In current times of crisis, amid substantial food waste, urban areas are witnessing a growing phenomenon of vulnerable groups suffering from food poverty, often coupled with limited access to fresh food. This scenario has led to a proliferation of diverse charitable initiatives, concurrently fueling researchers' exploration of sustainable food commons and circular systems. However, to foster community-driven development of such models, it becomes imperative to structure services around local, proactive, and situated stake-holder networks. This paper delves into the core insights concerning inventive design solutions to establish situated partnerships with the double aim of fighting food waste and supporting a neighborhood-centric circular food redistribution service for vulnerable residents, enacted by Off Campus Nolo (Polimi DESIS Lab) within Nolo neighborhood in Milan, Italy.