We want to start a process of empowering cultural patterns through the public space transformation as a lever to involve communities and valorize diversity. 4 strategic places of the ancient Mazara Casbah will be reactivated and animated through an inclusive process for inhabitants, creatives, universities, institutions, public decision-makers and associations, co-designing spaces for culture and co-living policies with a bottom-up strategy. We are Humans, we are Builders, we are Periferica.

Mazara del Vallo, Sicily — Italy.

Making Mazara an intercultural city. Despite its own cultural, ethnic and religious mosaic, in recent years the issue of integration has become divisive and contradictory, also because of the socio-economic crisis of the fishing sector which in the past united local and foreign communities in a common productive process. In the city where 10% of the inhabitants are of foreign origin, the poor integration policies have paved the way for right-wing populism which, exploiting the recent migratory phenomenon, has increased social inequalities, generating direct critical issues (low civic participation, polarization political debate), and indirect (social exclusion, racism, poor working dignity). Marginalized places favors emargination: in the periphery of Europe, more Europe is needed.

Through 4 interaction tools (civic labs, talk, workshops, events) on 4 topics (spaces, policies, culture, co-living) we will reactivate 4 places where communities involve recognising themselves, associating each space with a specific theme, chosen together with the Participants. The shared space becomes an integration platform for the community: local (inhabitants, associations, commercial activities, public administration), resident foreigners (coming from Tunisia, Serbia, Senegal, Somalia, Romania, Morocco, China…), international creative (university students, professionals and European artists). Each community, together with the cultural mediators, will elect their leaders to meet with Periferica and the project partners at all stages of the process.

> Jan-Dec 21
1) ANALYSIS - SWOT, NEEDS MAP, DATA 
(target, context, personas, market…)
2) PROGRAM - co-design the process with partners and a representative audience;
3) ENGAGEMENT - brand, promotion and communication strategy;
4) CIVIC LABS - Topics: spaces, policies, culture, co-living — Format: talks, labs, co-design workshops, roundtables, social food (…);
5) REGENERATION - Architecture, Urban Design, Communication and Self-Construction workshops with European students and experts in order to transform 4 selected spaces.
6) EVENTS — co-designed by civic labs (4) , taking place in regenerated spaces (5)
7) REPORT — outputs, outcomes
8) FOLLOW UP — spaces will define key points for touristic guided visits during the year inside the ancient Casbah
9) REPEAT BABY!

1) + spaces: 4 degraded places regenerated in presidia by-and-for the communities; 

2) + bottom-up integration policies, co-designed with public decision makers (manifesto);
3) + social, cultural, economic relations; 

4) + quantity and quality of the debate around the theme of co-living; 

5) + protagonism of the communities in the political choices;

6) + local and international reputation.
We would like to open a new chapter that talks about real integration, after pages of social and occupational segregation. Mazara as a plurality of peaceful, connected, integrated, collaborative communities. The impact will be measured through participants data, where we will investigate how much the process has improved their quality of life, relationships, work, expectations.

Shared spaces promote integration, so we want to build communities through the transformation of new gathering spaces. By regenerating 4 key points of the Mazara Casbah, we will bring together public and private subjects, inhabitants and creatives, local and foreign communities. In a context with few opportunities for exchange, knowledge, information and promotion of diversity, we have developed a program that sees integration as a tool for mutual enhancement of the local, migrant and foreign community. Participatory regeneration will be preceded by a process of analysis, comparison and design through 4 topics (spaces, policies, cultures, co-living) aimed at producing new solutions for a peaceful, pro-active and collaborative coexistence between the communities and the public body.

As citizens, we deeply want our city - where we were born and returned after studies - to become a place where we can build a safe, peaceful and supportive future. This is only possible by increasing civic consciousness. As professionals, we want to bring attention to the issue of public space management and community empowerment, shifting our research to a central neighbourhood -the ancient Casbah- in our city. Last year, Periferica successfully proposed to the public administration an urban culture manifesto (Rigenerata) which inserts the co-planning of places and policies within the territory development plan. With Civic Europe we want to give substance to this initiative, capitalising on the experiences gathered in these years, generating social impact, discovering us more Europeans.

→ 1 MANAGEMENT - 10K E
HR - 1 P. Manager 4K E
HR - 2 Monitoring 6K E

→ 2 ACTIVITIES - 15K E
Civic Labs 4 labs - 4 experts - 4K E
Workshop 4 labs - 4 experts - 4K E
Residencies 4 artists - 2K E
Events (up to 20) - 5K E

→ 3 RESOURCES 17K E
urban regeneration workshop
→ 4 MOBILITY 2K E
→ 5 ADMINISTRATION 1K E
→ 6 COMMUNICATION 5K E

note: as experienced, we could also raise an additional budget of around 30k through workshop fees (10k), sponsors (10k) public administration (10k).

We will appreciate everything could be useful to improve our idea and our approach in general. Every advice, comment or feedback is welcome!