Co-creation Workshops in Genova

The Municipality of Genova organised three co-creation workshops that took place between March and April 2018. With the European Awareness Scenario Workshop methodology, citizens, representatives of local associations, urban planners, geology experts and the staff working for the Municipality of Genova, came together to create a vision, propose their ideas, and discuss their implementation. Results that arose from the co-creation activity were evaluated by designers and the municipality to ensure their technical and economic feasibility.  

The first co-creation workshop focused on three themes:

• Green (functions, maintenance, management),
• Water (rainwater, black water, historical memory),
• Connections (inside the district, external with the city).

At the second co-creation workshop, the themes highlighted in the first session were deepened. At the same time, tables at which a mixture of the quadruple helix gathered, had to look at different subjects.

At the final workshop, a co-planning session took place, where participants could propose functions (deemed compatible) and place them on the plan of the area, within the perimeter identified for the project.

With the co-creation activities, the Municipality of Genova could see that the emerging issues were slightly different from those selected at the start.

Participants identified the following key aspects for restoration of the Gavoglio area:

• Transformation into an urban park;
• Opportunity for different types of users to enjoy public green areas;
• Easy accessibility from different neighbouring districts, also for users with disabilities.

Key takeaways:

1. • The feasibility study of the park and the master plan provided by the administration were an excellent starting point that was largely accepted and confirmed during the co-creation workshops;
2. • All the functionalities proposed by the working tables can be realised through the use of nature-based solutions;
3. • The in-depth knowledge of the area is an unavoidable aspect of the design evolution and at the same time an opportunity for the city to become aware of a space that has remained separated from the urban fabric for a long time.