A new generation of collaborative public services

This paper introduces the concept of collaborative public services, drawing on exemplary Italian prototypes. It begins by addressing the crisis of public services shaped by Dominant Service Design and outlines a first paradigm shift, where citizens move from passive users to active participants in global social innovation. However, this shift revealed limitations, often depending on the exceptional commitment of a few individuals. A second shift is emerging: collaborative public services sustained by a stronger role for the state and a participatory ecosystem that enables different levels of engagement, expanding involvement across society. The concept of a participatory ecosystem is explored through the lenses of infrastructuring and enabling platforms and illustrated by the Porta Moneta case study from Milan’s “School of the Neighbourhoods.” The paper concludes by highlighting key takeaways: designing different “intensities of participation,” prioritising marginalised groups, redefining the public sector as a cultural and social facilitator, and favouring co-production over co-design for more meaningful, satisfying involvement.