Civic design to make cities more sustainable and resilient

In scientific literature, as well as technical reports by national and international organizations on urban sustainability and resilience, there is broad agreement on the need for a paradigm shift in spatial planning and design based on cross-disciplinary knowledge, an inter-scalar approach, and integrated planning tools. In this vein, the contribution takes up the concepts found in literature of capital web (Crane, J Am Inst Plan 4:280–292, 1960) and civic design (Scott Brown, Arch Des 60:21–30, 1990), which identify two different levels of “direction” in the field of urban transformations, both the preserve of public administrations, revisiting them in light of present-day challenges and emergencies concerning urban sustainability and climate adaptation. Some good practices of integrated urban planning and design refer to this interpretation, which is emblematic of how a positive approach to the issues raised by sustainability and environmental and risk protection can lead to the creation of new types of public space and multifunctional infrastructure, with strong social and symbolic significance.