Reframing beauty in public space: Towards a relational and experiential framework

This paper addresses the role of beauty in contemporary public space, proposing a shift from an object-based, formal conception of aesthetics to a relational, experiential, and process-oriented framework. Although recent policy initiatives, such as the New European Bauhaus, have positioned beauty alongside sustainability and inclusion as a key dimension of urban transformation, its integration into design and evaluation practices remains limited. Responding to this gap, the paper develops a theoretical and framework-building contribution aimed at operationalising beauty as a relational and experiential dimension of public space. The paper introduces the “Beauty for All” model, developed through design research experimentation in the Milano Innovation District (MIND), a large-scale urban regeneration area characterised by ongoing urban transformation. Grounded in philosophical aesthetics, urban studies, and relational design approaches, the “Beauty for All” model is articulated as a conceptual and operational framework to strategically orient urban public space design, placing beauty at the centre of the process. In particular, the model describes beauty in terms of emotionality, conviviality, plurality, and equity. These dimensions constitute the qualities of public space in terms of experience and relationality. The framework contributes to current debates on urban evaluation by moving beyond exclusively KPI-based approaches and by promoting a conceptual shift in design and strategic processes, integrating the environmental, social, and experiential dimensions of beauty. Its primary contribution lies in reframing beauty as an experiential and relational dimension for urban transformation, capable of supporting designers, policymakers, and stakeholders in discussing and orienting public space development.