Happiness in the city. Experimental teaching and research in the methodological design of the collective space of the city

This essay presents a teaching experience conducted in the Bachelor Degree Course in Product Design of Politecnico di Milano. The course on the theme ‘Happiness in the city’, proposed to the student the goal of designing street furniture solutions for outdoor areas in the city of Como. The teaching methodology was capable to trigger a process of design that, using trans-disciplinary tools and methods (urban, sociological and anthropological analysis, scenario design, etc.), becoming a catalyst for social participation by focusing design on users needs. This methodologies factors helped to define identities of spaces, improving the quality of people’s life who daily enjoy the collective areas of the city.