The role of art for the regeneration of the public city. The experiences of the Metropolitan Cities of Palermo and Naples

The progressive dissolution of common heritage of material and immaterial values, caused by the intensification of phenomena of congestion and fragmentation of public spaces, transforming them into residual and abandoned spaces even in historic areas, requires the development of a regeneration strategy in marginal contexts, promoting functional and morphological approach through an innovative and creative way of public spaces uses. In this context, culture and art become propulsive elements for regeneration strategies, being bearers of new values of inclusion and urban quality, as developed by the experience of Strategic Plan of Metropolitan City of Palermo, city of intense and widespread cultural and artistic creativity, which attributes the role of socioeconomic development of the historic city to culture and art, involving Palermo community in the activation of virtuous regeneration processes. At the same time, the use of art as a leitmotif of regeneration projects, integrating city flows with architectural and functional aspects of public city for realization of widespread and interactive museums, is at the base of the experience of Art Stations and of Strategic Plan of Metropolitan City of Naples, with policies that integrate urban planning, mobility and cultural heritage, for a paradigm shift of mobility spaces, previously seen only in their functional aspect, but today also as public spaces, integral part of the metropolitan identity and of city transformation.