The role of psychology in urban requalification: an action-research project

The aim of this study is to illustrate an action-research project intended for urban requalification of a Roman neighborhood, carried on by a psychological staff, with the support of an engineering staff. The planning of community service centers oriented to local population needs will then be conducted based on the study’s results. Consistently with a psychosocial perspective, we carried out three subsequent steps: drafting the community profile based on objective indicators (1), exploring local culture (2) and detecting the neighborhood quality of life (3). The community profile was achieved by mapping territorial features and services. Local culture was explored through interviews with local stakeholders which were then analyzed in order to detect the representations about the neighborhood and its future development. The neighborhood quality of life was then examined through questionnaires filled out by a sample of residents. Results highlighted the lack of services and relevant aggregation spaces, especially for younger people. In detail, some problematic representations of the neighborhood emerged which affected neighborhood quality of life and related to: sense of isolation, conflicts with local authorities, anomic system of coexistence and lack of future perspective. Some development lines are proposed in order to plan community services centers based on the neighborhood needs and resources. The paper offers a methodological framework for improving psychosocial community-based interventions and urban requalification plans based on a multidisciplinary approach and professional competences.