Marginal opportunities: The old town center in Palermo

The article presents the theoretical and methodological basis for structuring a research project aiming at identifying and carrying out micro-actions of urban acupuncture. An actual project has been launched to requalify the neighborhood Vucciria—an existing paradigmatic and highly degraded area in the historic center of Palermo—acting through small architectural, social and cultural interventions. The project, now on-going, and whose various phases are described, involves both residents and regular public-space users. The assessor plays a pivotal role as coordinator between the various entities and groups involved; his coordination efforts are badly needed also when identifying and managing funding sources and re-directing the available resources to new virtuous processes of urban regeneration.