Making places connecting spaces and resources

The growing complexity of contemporary territories is increasingly expressed through the convergence of environmental, social, health, and cultural crises that often coexist within the same geographic areas. Earthquakes, pollution, depopulation, heritage degradation, and socio-economic vulnerabilities act simultaneously, challenging the effectiveness of traditional urban planning approaches, which remain largely rooted in linear and sectoral logic. Within this scenario, the concept of resilience—despite its central role in academic and political discourse—is frequently reduced to an all-encompassing slogan, lacking the capacity to grasp the nuanced complexity of local conditions or to distinguish between sudden shocks and slow, structural processes. This results in theoretical and operational fragmentation, particularly in historic urban contexts marked by cultural stratification, spatial inequalities, and widespread fragility (Banica et al., 2020; Carta, 2025; Davoudi, 2012; De Roo et al., 2020). This study, developed within the framework of the PRIN 2020 SUMMA project (#20209F3A37), presents a methodology for analysing and transforming public spaces in areas subject to multiple forms of risk. It also includes two indicators: the first measures the degree of resilience of places simultaneously exposed to various risks; the second assesses their adaptive capacity following proposed interventions. The approach integrates qualitative research methods, perceptual analysis, and strategic design thinking. It includes the mapping of risks and their root causes, an investigation into the perceptions of both users and local stakeholders, and the identification of existing spatial resources—such as open spaces, historical monuments, and pedestrian and cycling networks—and their potential for transformation. A key component of the approach is co-design (Manzini, 2015), which aims to activate collective dynamics for the reinterpretation and revalorization of place, drawing upon diffuse competences, latent resources, and local identities. Within this perspective, the identification of relevant actors—residents, institutions, professionals, associations—is fundamental for understanding their visions, expectations, and agency. Co-design techniques, ranging from questionnaires to world cafés and focus groups, are selected and tailored to the specific context, with the goal of uncovering unmet needs and underutilized opportunities. The case studies examined in this research include locations facing different forms of depopulation connected to other risks, each requiring specific strategies for revitalization and engagement of local actors. These are: Sovana, a medieval Tuscan village mainly visited for its proximity to Etruscan necropolises; Cittaducale, a town in Lazio where the 2016 earthquake—despite causing limited physical damage—accelerated an ongoing trend of depopulation; and Palestrina, also in Lazio Region, where a gradual decline in commercial activity is contributing to a deterioration in the quality of urban life. In addition to synthesizing the outcomes of these case studies, the paper presents the results generated by the two indicators of resilience and adaptation. The methodological model proposed places people, the value of places, and their relationships with surrounding territorial resources at the core of urban transformation strategies, operating within a network-based logic (Sepe, 2025). The aim is to promote a form of dynamic and adaptive planning, capable of responding to local diversity and addressing unexpected challenges with awareness and contextual sensitivity.