Rigenerazione urbana e inclusione sociale: la Casa della Salute e il Condominio Solidale di Empoli

Social inclusion might be achieved through urban regeneration projects? This is the challenge of HOPE (Home of People and Equality): an urban innovation program developed by the Municipality of Empoli in the metropolitan area of Florence and financed by Region Tuscany with European Regional Development Funds 2014-2020. The aim of the project is the redevelopment of buildings and public spaces in the historic center of Empoli as an inclusive infrastructure, able to improve and integrate the social, cultural, economic and environmental components of the place. Specifically, one of the existing public buildings involved in HOPE will be re-designed as a place for healthcare assistance and co-housing. The functional and energy refurbishment of this building has determined the construction of a healthcare assistant center on the ground floor (“Casa della Salute”) and apartments for fragile users (elderly, young, disabled, immigrants and single parents with children) on the upper two floors (“Condominio Solidale”). The project has been developed according to collective interests with the aim to ensure the inclusion of the entire community in terms of diversity of gender, age, ethnicity or ability. Casa della Salute and Condominio Solidale could become a pilot experience for developing new approaches and replicability models to inspire Public Administrations in future urban regeneration projects that involve social inclusion, housing quality, urban liveability and environmental sustainability.