Building community spaces: Processes and actions In the City of Mercato Ballarò in Palermo

Abstract

The rediscovery of the cultural value of a project, the creation of new imagery in marginal places and the new aesthetics of temporality are some of the emerging issues in the city of crisis which are measured through processes of active involvement in community relations. There are many cities that have recognised urban markets as an integral part of local economies, with great benefits also at cultural and social levels. The hypothesis of triggering regenerative processes in the urban and social fabric in the unstable urban market context is the foundation of this research-action contribution developed through active relationships with public entities, associations and citizens. The systemic approach adopted in the context of the historical Ballarò market in Palermo allowed us to observe, first of all, the constructed environment in its entirety, and afterwards to overcome the limited conception of interventions, in time and space, through three priority criteria: resilience, adaptability and transformability.