ART-ER

Supporting impact assessment for urban regeneration projects funded by the Urban Regeneration 2021 Call for Proposals.

Enterprises, Public authorities
Innovazione e imprenditorialità

Open Impact worked together with the Emilia-Romagna Region and ART-ER to develop an integrated impact evaluation model for urban regeneration projects funded by the Urban Regeneration 2021 Call for Proposals. Our intervention focused on two main aspects: on the one hand, we analyzed and adapted existing impact frameworks, and on the other, we guided municipalities in defining new social and cultural outcomes, emerging from the projects themselves. This integration of approaches allowed us to create a database of indicators capable of capturing the specificities of each project and providing a solid basis for impact measurement in key areas such as environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and economic development.

OTHER STAKEHOLDERS

Regione Emilia Romagna

ADVISORS INVOLVED

Lavinia Pastore, Arda Lelo, Ginevra Lazzarini, Arianna Brestuglia

Duration

December 2023 – June 2024

Type

Capacity building | Construction of bottom up impact assessment database

Methodological approach

  • Analysis of existing impact frameworks: study of evaluation models already in use and identification of areas for improvement.

 

  • Capacity building for municipalities: training and technical support for municipalities to bring out new outcomes related to their specific projects.

 

  • Creation of an integrated database: development of a database that collects both standard outcomes and those that have emerged from local projects, making social, economic and environmental impacts measurable.
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Findings

The project provided municipalities with concrete tools to measure and manage the impact of their urban regeneration projects. Through the co-creation process, it was possible to integrate standard outcomes with new social and cultural categories that emerged from below, resulting in a comprehensive framework adaptable to various urban contexts. This approach made municipalities more autonomous in managing impact, while strengthening their capacity to coordinate complex projects with an integrated vision of sustainability and inclusion.

 

Macro Outcome Areas:

 

During the project, the following macro-areas of outcome emerged from the combination of predefined outcomes and those generated by the municipalities themselves:

 

  • Environmental Sustainability and Ecological Upgrading: this macro-area focused on increasing green spaces, improving air quality, reducing urban heat islands, and making buildings more energy efficient.

 

  • Social inclusion and community cohesion: outcome reflecting increased civic participation and inclusion of vulnerable groups (youth, elderly, migrants) through new social opportunities and regeneration of common spaces.

 

  • Local economic and employment development: outcomes that relate to the creation of new jobs, the strengthening of local businesses, and the development of circular economies related to urban regeneration.

 

  • Cultural Enhancement and Active Participation: the promotion and increase of local cultural activities and enhancement of architectural and cultural assets has led to increased community participation and awareness.

 

 

These macro areas represent a synthesis of the work done with municipalities and offer an integrated and flexible framework for measuring impact in future urban regeneration projects.