Città storica e welfare urbano. Strategie di rigenerazione per i centri storici di Taranto e Palermo

The current process of metropolization of the contemporary city, which tends towards the homologation and trivialization of the various cultural and identity landscapes and which has often dispersed a heritage of invaluable values producing areas without form and quality, associated with the phenomena of marginalization of the parts of ancient plant, substantiates a generalized demand for quality, highlighting the need to rethink the role of historical, cultural and identity permanences. In this context, within the most advanced fronts of debate and experimentation, the opportunity to consider the role of these assets as structural components in urban regeneration strategies arises; strategies that integrates conservation and innovation, socio-economic revitalization and cultural enhancement. Starting from the relevance of the multiplicity signs and permanences that characterizes the Italian territories, testimony of identity uses and culture deeply layered on the palimpsest, the paper addresses a reflection on strategies aimed at contrasting the processes of social, economic and spatial polarization taking place in historic centers, supporting theoretical reflection through the study of national experiences that show a point of convergence in experimenting an integrated approach aimed at building the public city. Among these, the paper explores two integrated projects for the recovery and redevelopment of historic centers in degraded conditions, in particular, the case of the Old city of Taranto (CIS “Taranto - Centro Storico”) and the case of the Historic Center of Palermo (CIS “Palermo - Centro Storico”), which are connoted by the presence of relevant and heterogeneous historical-cultural permanences and constitute emblematic experiences for the activation of regeneration strategies aimed at the recovery of urban quality and the achievement of new forms of well-being and social inclusion.