Culture-led urban regeneration projects: participatory good practices in Europe

This contribution explores the relationship between urban regeneration and the protection of local cultural heritage, analyzing obstacles, strategies, and evaluation metrics. It draws on Henri Lefebvre’s sociological theory, which divides social space into perceived, conceived, and lived spaces, to better understand urban spaces and their potential for citizen reappropriation. The right to the city implies reshaping space according to the needs of the working classes, generating a “differential space” that challenges homogeneity and fosters new urban forms. The city thus becomes a battleground between opposing planning models: Smart Cities, driven by AI and market logic, and open, adaptive cities based on participation. This tension creates the “dilemma of participation,” balancing citizen interests with economic logics, intertwined with Harvey’s “dilemma of space,” linked to capitalism’s expansive dynamics. This essay proposes an interpretative framework to study cultural-led urban regeneration, exploring its local expressions and introducing an analytical tool to assess participation.