Public open space [Latin “Pùblicus”, which belongs to people as a whole, accessible to all] is a term that refers to a deep sense of belonging: acting on a public space means to address the concept of designing to everyone, in order to guarantee everybody the usability of space, go-
ods and services, regardless of their abilities and functional capabilities. It should be a common goal shared by designers and builders to achieve public spaces characterized by high levels of quality, according to the principles of Universal Design. This is the approach adopted by LabAc – Laboratory of Accessibility – a project developed in the Province of Trieste, that is conceived as an interdisciplinary experimental ground, where professionals and public administration can have an open dialogue with stakeholders, working simultaneously in order to optimize designing processes and operational tools.
