ICF, International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, officially entrust the environment the power to enable or disable people to develop their life, according to their temporary or permanent conditions.
All those involved into interventions on the built environment have a great responsibility: the concept of designing for “standard man” should be overcome and different requirements from a broader segment of population need to be considered, guaranteeing the possibility for all to take part actively to daily life, fostering social inclusion by means of the highest level of accessibility.
Thank to assistive technologies, barrier free design, domotic and facilities concerned with ICT, it is easy to design new accessible buildings; but when working on open spaces at urban scale, it could be very difficult to get effective results, not least because of several needs from different stakeholders must be considered and matched.
To manage a design process in case of urban redevelopments, by adding new buildings in a settled context, could be even more difficult when the goal is to provide (social) housing for weak users and to create condition for an effective living and inclusive community.
Public open space can play a therapeutic role by ensuring its full accessibility and usability: that concerns the possibility of moving independently, safely and easily in a reliable and familiar environment that allow relationships and easy access to goods and services.
How inclusion can be fostered by designing accessible public spaces? Which key elements can be considered for accessible open spaces? Which strategic actions can be focused to start up propositive decisional processes?
The paper deals with these issues; it will present the case study of a new social housing project that involves a rethinking of the organization and functionality of open spaces and pathways, in order to guarantee full accessibility for all.
