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The field of facility management, especially concerning condition assessment, is affected by two main issues: one is the incompleteness and heterogeneity of information transfer between the involved subjects; the other is the frequent lack of specific advanced skills needed for technically complex tools. The immediate consequences of this process inefficiency fall on economic and environmental aspects: the unavailability or incorrect structuring of data related to building conditions does not allow for making optimal choices concerning interventions on components. This paper attempts to provide a solution in this framework by presenting a methodology for simplified condition assessment, in which the evaluation of decay parameters draws from economic evaluation techniques, and which optimizes data collection, systematization, and elaboration, also integrating it with a mobile app for automatic data upload and centralization. The research underlying its development draws from decay evaluation criteria and national standards for the analysis and breakdown of buildings. The methodology was tested on a case study of the Cloister of Santa Croce in Florence, which also served as the client of the tool. The proposed methodology stands as an easily implementable integration to condition assessment for maintenance planning and building inspection activities.

The aim of this paper, in line with the 2030 European Agenda and 2021 Italian “Recovery and Resilience Plan” objectives, is to define an evaluation methodology and tool to support public administrations to detect buildings, currently unused or underused, that might be apt for transformation interventions. The focus is on historical Italian healthcare buildings since these show widespread decay and neglect. A five-step methodology has been developed: screening of public assets; classification, evaluation, and identification of buildings, based on the “potential index”; GIS mapping and inventory; selection of buildings for in-depth analysis; BIM digitization and definition of the “transformability index”. In the fifth phase, an evaluation tool is integrated into the BIM software to automatically calculate the transformability index of each building using six indicators: usability, fragmentation, modifiability, roof implementation, external envelope, and window-to-wall ratio. The “transformability index” helps define the most appropriate buildings to intervene with for reuse. Building transformation is connected to construction features and layout organization and it is limited by architectural, structural, and artistic constraints.

The structure of urban transportation and mobility is dramatically changing, partly due to the explosive growth in shared-use modes (SUM) of travel such as bikesharing, carsharing and, more recently, electronic (e-)scooter/ monowheels - sharing. Municipal transport planners and policymakers are struggling to both understand and manage their potential impacts. Developing, adopting and enforcing regulations that aim to maximize transportation options while simultaneously ensuring public safety and the public good is proving to be a challenging task in such a time of fast evolution. According to the Italian regulations, electric scooters, hoverboards, segways and monowheels are allowed to circulate in urban areas, pedestrian/cycle paths and roads with a speed limit of 30 km/h. This study aims to select the suitable paths for the circulation of electric scooters, hoverboards, segways and monowheels within the municipal territory of Catania, applying Multi-Criteria Decision Aid approach.

Public authorities address issues related to urban maintenance management on a daily basis. Maintenance is vital for preserving efficient architectural and functional quality, but the economic resources that can be invested in it are increasingly limited. Thus, authorities tend to carry out maintenance works only when effective emergency situations occur. On the contrary, adopting a preventive maintenance plan would allow a better management of the available budget and savings of resources. The paper aims to present a methodology to optimize maintenance costs by integrating GIS and BIM systems in order to create a City Information Model (CIM). It is meant to optimize management and monitoring of urban maintenance works assisting public authorities in their effort in making a more efficient use of the economic resources allocated.

All over the world the e-mobility phenomenon is expanding, both on the supply and demand side. Leading global car manufacturers have introduced electric models at increasingly competitive prices and many people are interested in benefits and cost-effectiveness that the new technology could bring them. Even if from March to June 2020, due to the COVID-19 mobility restrictions, sales of electric cars have fallen below 2019's levels, in the last few months the rate of sales recovered strongly. Governments of various countries, in compliance with EU directives, have introduced strict rules to reduce CO2 emission. For the same purpose, to increase the demand for private electric vehicles they are providing incentives and subsidies to encourage EV sales. The paper focuses on private electric vehicles total costs and investigates the European and United Kingdom tax benefits and purchase incentives. The aim is to understand how the demand growth is related with the policies of the European countries by analyzing existing data referred to all EU member states. Whether subsidies policies prove insufficient to achieve the set objectives, it will be appropriate to plan educational strategies to promote environmentally sustainable habits for citizens.

The transformation of “complex” sites subject to landscape and/or archaeological and/or environmental protection is itself a complex operation that, right from the preliminary meta-design phases, requires the support of “assessment science” to comprehend its effects – economic and otherwise. Consequently, for the decision-making process to be effective and efficient, assessment tools and methodologies suited to the specific situations being assessed should be identified. The activation of assessment processes becomes particularly substantial in the phase of studying the prefeasibility and feasibility of a complex initiative, since it provides elaborate but concise information that is a prerequisite for making informed decisions as to whether the initiative can be carried out. Among the various assessment types, multi-criteria analyses are those most suitable for casting light on the salient aspects upon which the feasibility of complex territorial transformation processes depends. This paper shows the first results of an ongoing research and aims to identify the objectives, criteria, and indicators for outlining a methodological path prerequisite for assessing the feasibility of the complex meta-project of recovering the “Portus-Ostia Antica” archaeological site. First, the objectives of a general nature connected with an intervention of this kind will be identified; then, for the identified objectives, criteria, sub-criteria, and specific indicators will be defined, making it possible to assess, in specific terms, the initiative’s feasibility characteristics. This phase is prerequisite to implementing a multi-criteria assessment from which to obtain concise results based on which to develop a feasibility judgment on the Portus-Ostia initiative, taking account of the financial, environmental, and socioeconomic impacts, and in general of all the co-benefits the initiative produces.

The present paper was prompted by the activity carried out within the scope of an EU-funded project (WARMEST) that calls for the analysis of monuments’ degradation due to climate change and growing number of tourists. Taking into account the economic aspects, including the increasingly limited resources, related to the conservation of cultural heritage, our research aims to contribute also to the WARMEST project by developing an optimization model for the management and maintenance costs of cultural heritage. This paper focuses on the Brunelleschi’s Cloister within the church complex of Santa Croce (Florence, Italy) and refers to the preliminary study for the achievement of this objective: an analysis of the intrinsic characteristics of the Pietra Serena, its state of degradation and the causes that generate it. The next step will be the analysis of the maintenance costs necessary to stop the degradation process. The information collected will be used to create an HBIM (Heritage Building Information Modeling) model. Meanwhile we will work on predicting the degradation progression due to the climate change through the analysis of the images collected along a period of time and implementing machine learning processes.

Every year ship traffic produces tons of liquid waste mainly consisting of bilge water and of washing water of tankers' tanks. The latter are called slop waters and are characterized by high salinity and by the presence of recalcitrant pollutants mainly of hydrocarbon origin: these characteristics promote the use of chemical-physical rather than biological treatment. In particular, in the present study the slop waters were subjected to a clariflocculation treatment by means of batch tests. This treatment involves the dosage of specific chemical reagents (coagulants and flocculants) added to water at different stages of the process. In order to establish the optimal reagents' type and dose, also considering the operating costs, the proposed study presents a frequency analysis belonging to the family of multi-criteria exploration. The application of this methodology to examine the validity of the different process alternatives has allowed the inclusion of, in a single assessment, both economic and extra-economic (measurable only in qualitative terms) procedures. Thanks to this qualitative and quantitative method, it was therefore possible to order the different treatment alternatives analyzed, identifying the one that allows optimizing the wastewater management, for a conscious choice of the most suitable solution to the problem.

The present paper was prompted by the activity carried out within the scope of an EU-funded project (WARMEST). It calls to analyse the reasons for the degradation of the Patio de Los Leones, which attracts over 2 million tourists per year to Granada in Spain. We review here the most advanced studies and regulations on the assessment of the social impact of mass tourism and present a novel methodology to analyse its effects. We dug into the material available on social networks&mdash, especially feedback to posts published on major relevant sites&mdash, and got a comprehensive picture of the thoughts that were expressed there and a comprehensive assessment of the citizens&rsquo, opinion on the social impact of tourism in Granada. Thus, we obtained a new indicator called &ldquo, C.1.2 index modified&rdquo, which measures the level of dissatisfaction of citizens with the tourists&rsquo, pressure, we propose to replace the existing ETIS index with C.1.2, which is mainly based on direct surveys that are often carried out with very limited resources. At the end of the research, we could point out topics that are especially important to the citizens, thus allowing us to define a strategic action plan with a bottom-up approach.

The impact of properly managing energy in hospitals is significant, due to the high bills and polluting emissions, and is complex, due to the wide range of energy consuming equipment to be kept always running. Energy efficiency plans in hospitals, which are pivotal in the European wide effort to redevelop existing buildings, have to be carried out as a part of a wider redesign process and must encompass complex data analysis and modeling. Based on the activity carried out within the European funded project H2020/MSCA/STEER, this work elaborates on the methodology, as tested on a building information model of a health center in Sicily, to identify positive and negative aspects of energy-related technology options to keep hospitals efficient. The main steps of the methodology carried out in the health center were: (1) collect data and input it in a digital model; (2) create and test a simplified quasi-steady state model of the building; (3) create a dynamic simulation model of the building; (4) run dynamic and simplified model simulations of the energy performance of the building; (5) compare results obtained from the two models in various scenarios, showing that the relevant differences after indicative interventions and parameter changes are equivalent.

The new Italian Procurement Code—L.D. n. 50, 2016—implementing the 2014 European Union Directive, introduced BIM (Building Information Modeling) as an innovative approach to digitalize the construction sector. The recent Decree n. 560 of December 1st 2017 defines the methods and schedule for the gradual introduction of the BIM for the design, execution and management of construction works. BIM procedures involve a radical change in the design approach that goes from the graphical representation to the simulation of a process, both in the field of new constructions and in the field of Cultural Heritage conservation. In this perspective the article shows the results of a survey carried out on historic buildings. It aimed at verifying how much the modeling has remained confined to a low level of development (LOD A, according to the UNI 11337 standard is linked to a merely symbolic level) and those who have gone further by integrating specific and detailed information that allow real time to evaluate the sustainability of different alternatives. The article, which represents a first step of an ongoing research, starting from the regulatory framework of the BIM in Italy, highlights its potential (Sect. 1); the issue of the evaluation is deepened (Sect. 2), with particular reference to the 5D-BIM Project cost management and to the Heritage Building Information Modeling (HBIM).

The European Union is committed to enforce limitations to water pollution through specific directives (UWWTD 91/271/EEC). The delay of some EU member states in transposing these directives has had an impact on the quality of the wastewater treatment system. Therefore, it is necessary to intervene with adjustment procedures and construction of new plants. The aim of the study is to carry out an economic feasibility assessment for the construction costs of an urban wastewater treatment plant of medium-low capacity (&lt, 50,000 Population Equivalent or pe) according to a simplified process diagram, and help in the planning of new investments. We propose a methodology based on cost functions according to two different procedures: synthetic estimate of the costs for civil works and a multiple linear regression for the cost of the electromechanical equipment. These functions show a correlation between the construction costs and the population equivalent and enable us to understand it. The results show greater economic benefit in increasing wastewater treatment plants sizes serving a population equivalent of 5000 pe to 10,000 pe, while further increases are less beneficial.

Public residential buildings make a large portion of the European existing stock and they quite often require deep renovation interventions. A methodology for setting priorities and targeting regeneration investments should be defined relying on the increasing use of building information modelling (BIM) tools even for managing existing buildings. The aim of this paper is to integrate the evaluation process into BIM Revit software developing a specific plug-in, a Decision support system (DSS) that will help to identify the most appropriate flats to be transformed. It is based on measuring three indicators: Usability, Fragmentation, and Constructive Modifiability. Through their weighted average it is possible to obtain a final transformability score. The proposed approach has been tested on a case study chosen within the 1st P.E.E.P. (1st public plan for council and affordable housing) that has been approved in Rome in 1964. The results demonstrate that the transformability of apartments is related mainly to the Constructive Modifiability indicator and buildings with reinforced concrete frames show higher scores. A widespread application of such a methodology on large real estate portfolio may lead stakeholders involved in housing management investments in clear choices related to maintenance of buildings.

This study is prompted by the activity carried out within a EU funded project (WARMEST)[1] whose goal is to analyze monuments’ degradation due to factors such as climate change and growing number of tourists, create a model to describe and anticipate the phenomena, and put in place a user-friendly Decision Support System that will help in setting preventive maintenance plans. As part of the project, we had the chance to study in depth the degradation at the Patio de Los Leones, the core of the world-famous site of the Alhambra and Generalife, which attracts to Granada in Spain where they are located over 2 million tourists per year. The paper aims to define a new methodology to assess the level of urgency to restore the 124 columns of the Patio de Los Leones (Alhambra). It is not easy to identify all the factors affecting the columns’ deterioration and to establish which should be restored first. Our approach is to collect all the data regarding the decay factor and use multi criteria decision aid methods such us the Analytic Hierarchy Process in order to create a hierarchy among all columns according to their decay. We also will create an HBIM model of the Patio del Los Leones in order to optimize the management and maintenance of the columns. HBIM model can also optimize the data management and enable to compare results (in this case data about columns decay) over time.

The growing interest in the enhancement, management, and sale of public building stock has increased the importance of their valuation and, as a result, the need to identify suitable methods for estimating value that take into account their peculiarities. They often boast architectural features (interfloor distance, layout, finishings, types of wiring/heating systems, etc.) that make them &lsquo, extraordinary&rsquo, assets, in some cases, these features also endow them with monumental and/or historical importance. Thus, when valuating, it is necessary to adopt suitable methods. Where comparable examples or income-based parameters specifically concerning buildings with special features are lacking, the Depreciated Replacement Cost (DRC) method is the only system that can be used to estimate their market value. This paper aims to show how the DRC method can be applied in this specific market. The theoretical part will be coupled with a practical section where the DRC method will be used to estimate the market value of an extraordinary landmark building in Rome (Italy), the Palazzo degli Archivi di Stato (the State Archives building), in the EUR district, sold by EUR S.p.A. group (formerly known as Ente EUR) in 2015.

Interest towards urban micromobility has been growing lately, and it will now increase further due to the measures used against COVID-19. It is recommended to avoid close contact to prevent contagion. Municipalities have been called to implement wider cycling networks so that people may go to their work place by cycling rather than by using public transport. This paper focused on cycling path design using an infrastructure-building information model (I-BIM). The issue covered was how to connect cost and safety requirements in the first steps of the project. We set a methodology that gives, after identifying the intervention area and defining the available economic resources, the key elements needed to design possible cycle path solutions. It guides the designer step-by-step, starting from basic assumptions related to a cycle path’s location (urban/non-urban), budget (by range), and safety (according to Bicycle Compatibility Index BCI and Bicycle Level of Service (BLOS) index), up to the definition of preferred options in terms of materials to be selected. As a case study, we implemented this methodology in the old city center of Catania in Sicily (Italy), designing a cycle path that connects the city center with the existing cycle path on the coast, while aligning with safety requirements within budget constraints.

In recent years, the concept of transit-oriented development (TOD) is increasingly applied to urban development based on the principles of smart growth and sustainable development. The growing complexity of urban systems and metropolitan areas requires an integrated strategic vision. This means addressing the issues of mobility and accessibility and their impact on the urban environment. Catania metropolitan area is characterized by a highly urbanized settlement with high percentage of urban sprawl. The General Master Plan of the city, shaped in 1964 and finally endorsed in 1969, severely reduced the opportunity for new developments by allocating areas for new urban facilities. The process of urban sprawl is mainly characterized by residential settlements. This aspect together with an inadequate road network and an insufficient public transport service brought to the growth of private cars on the roads, generating serious traffic congestion and making Catania based on a car-oriented model. Lately these conditions are changing as a consequence of the development of the underground metro network that connects the main city’s service centers like the hospitals, the university (and soon also the Airport) to the city center. To achieve sustainable transportation and resolve the aforementioned problems, we have applied TOD criteria to some of the main city’s transport junctions (selected using the Multi Criteria Decision Aid methodology) in order to fulfills the principle of sustainable transportation.

The continuous growth of vehicles on the road and the consequent traffic congestion, especially in suburban areas, is a source for major concern. It impacts negatively on the operating costs of infrastructures and on the social and economic life in the surrounding area. From an economic perspective, travel time for the displacement between two junctions of a network is one of the most significant factors to be taken into consideration. On this basis, the designer decides on the level of service and the type of infrastructure to be built and the traveller assesses the alternatives to the existing modes of transport and his willingness to face the associated cost. In Europe, United Kingdom (UK) was the first country to value travel time in the early 1960s. Moreover, until 2011, it contributed to the estimation of the monetary value of time for 60% of international studies within the EU. The UK Department for Transport (DfT) adopts the Transport Analysis Guidance (WebTAG) as useful transport planning and design tool. This paper discusses on the guidelines and software tools adopted for the economic evaluation of transport interventions in UK and Italy, highlighting particularly, the values and methods for estimating the value of time (VOT) in both countries. We propose a strong integration of the two models taking into account the numerous parameters examined in UK and at the same time the method’s easy applicability for countries with different development conditions and needs.

Building Information Modelling is the latest phase of a revolutionary process that over the last thirty years has profoundly transformed the world of design in the construction sector in all its different disciplines: architecture and engineering design, mechanical/electrical/plumbing engineering, operation and maintenance, cost and safety, etc. From 2D and 3D assisted design to parametric design, the innovation has led to a profound change of perspective as far as the way of conceiving the work in all its phases is concerned, from concept to execution and consequently to management. BIM methodological approach, based on sharing and interoperability, opens up a potential range of future applications, although nowadays it is mainly used in the MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering) sector. One of the most interesting applications can be developed in urban and infrastructural design (Infra-BIM), where the processes and the controls implemented by BIM can be managed effectively and at a higher efficiency level. The term Infra-BIM is used in reference to the adoption of the BIM methodology in the infrastructure sector. An area that by itself calls for a strong disciplinary interconnection with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and involves many aspects, from the analysis of the area analysed to the relations and interferences with other infrastructures. A multidisciplinary approach that, consequently, requires the correct implementation of the BIM methodology reached by checking the coherence and quality of the information input in the models. The paper focuses on the phase of BIM Validation viewed as a support for a proper work-flow: it not only allows to analyse the whole set of information associated with a parametric object but also how the entire model matches the specific design requirements. BIM Validation process in design is not defined yet, but it is important to aim at a correct procedure so as to guarantee quality of design and future management of the project.

Objetivo: Establecer el papel que juegan el dibujo y el modelo BIM como representación o simulación de la arquitectura respectivamente. La irrupción y la generalización de los sistemas BIM en el mundo profesional de la arquitectura y la construcción obligan a reflexionar, desde la experiencia y el análisis riguroso, para establecer los riesgos y oportunidades que esto supone. Metodología: A partir de la experiencia de los autores en análisis crítico sobre innovaciones tecnológicas aplicadas a la representación arquitectónica y en el manejo de herramientas digitales en plataformas BIM, se establecen algunos conceptos con los que abordar su uso en la arquitectura. Conclusiones: Un modelo BIM incluye toda la información que se puede asignar a cada elemento constructivo y constituye una simulación del proyecto completa. Por lo tanto, puede convertirse en un instrumento que facilita el control y la evaluación de la calidad de las prestaciones del proyecto arquitectónico. Puede transmitirse a los diferentes agentes que intervienen a lo largo de la elaboración y la construcción del proyecto y admite modificaciones y mejoras continuas. Pero en cada fase, cada agente necesitará filtrar, seleccionar y jerarquizar la información para representar ciertos aspectos de la arquitectura. Ésta abstracción recuperará herramientas propias de la representación arquitectónica. Originalidad: Este trabajo sucede a otros previos de los autores en los que se analizaban las consecuencias de la irrupción de los sistemas de CAD aplicadas al dibujo arquitectónico. Creemos obligado hacer una reflexión serena y sin prejuicios sobre otras nuevas tecnologías que despiertan recelos en unos y deslumbran a otros. Objectiu: Establir el paper que juguen el dibuix i el model BIM com a representació o simulació de l'arquitectura respectivament. La irrupció i la generalització dels sistemes BIM en el món professional de l'arquitectura i la construcció obliguen a reflexionar, des de l'experiència i l'anàlisi rigorosa, per establir els riscos i oportunitats que això suposa. Metodologia: A partir de l'experiència dels autors en anàlisi crítica sobre innovacions tecnològiques aplicades a la representació arquitectònica i en el maneig d'eines digitals en plataformes BIM, s'estableixen alguns conceptes amb els quals abordar el seu ús en l'arquitectura. Conclusions: Un model BIM inclou tota la informació que es pot assignar a cada element constructiu i constitueix una simulació del projecte completa. Per tant, pot esdevenir un instrument que facilita el control i l'avaluació de la qualitat de les prestacions del projecte arquitectònic. Es pot transmetre als diferents agents que intervenen al llarg de l'elaboració i la construcció del projecte i admet modificacions i millores contínues. Però en cada fase, cada agent necessitarà filtrar, seleccionar i jerarquitzar la informació per representar certs aspectes de l'arquitectura. Aquesta abstracció recuperarà eines pròpies de la representació arquitectònica. Originalitat: Aquest treball passa a altres previs dels autors en els quals s'analitzaven les conseqüències de la irrupció dels sistemes de CAD aplicades al dibuix arquitectònic. Creiem obligat fer una reflexió serena i sense prejudicis sobre altres noves tecnologies que desperten recels en uns i enlluernen a uns altres. Objective: The aim of the paper is to establish the respective role of drawing and BIM model as representation or simulation in architecture. The breaking in and generalization (at all levels) of BIM systems in the professional world of architecture and construction, calls for a reflection based on experience and rigorous analysis, to establish the risks and opportunities that it entails. Methodology: Based on their experience in critical analysis of technological innovations applied to architectural representation as well as in the use of digital tools on BIM platforms, the authors establish some concepts to approach their use in architecture. Conclusions: A BIM model includes all information that may be assigned to each construction element and presents a simulation of the complete project. Therefore, it can become a tool that makes easier to control and evaluate the quality of the performance of an architectural project. It can be transferred to the different parties involved throughout the development and construction of the project and allows for modifications and continuous improvements. But in each phase, each party will need to filter, select and hierarchize the information to represent certain aspects of the architecture. In this phase, they might recover tools typical of traditional architectural representation. Originality: This paper follows others by the same authors in which they analyze the effects of the break-in of the CAD systems applied to architectural drawing. We believe that we should reflect calmly and without prejudice on other new technologies that arouse suspicions in some and dazzle others.

The energy needs of our planet grow steadily. It is therefore important to identify solutions for saving and optimizing natural resources used for energy production. Traditional renewable energies (photovoltaic, wind, etc.) are not sufficient to meet demand and should be distributed homogeneously across the territory in order to avoid losses and difficulties in use. The present study focuses on another source of wind energy: the exploitation of fluid dynamics generated by the movement of trains in tunnels. The study aims at preparing a technical appraisal and an economic feasibility evaluation. The experimental analysis applied to a railroad has demonstrated that renewable energy can also be produced in transport infrastructures while, without installed technologies, this energy source is unnecessarily unused and lost. The results show that wind energy can be obtained without creating a negative impact on the landscape and on views, by exploiting unforeseen sources of production.

BIM technologies provide tools and processes to support the entire life of a project effectively, from strategic planning to maintenance.Although this method takes its first steps in the architectural field and also infrastructure design processes currently make frequent use of BIM tools.This paper aims to apply the BIM oriented design method to the underground railway extension in the metropolitan area of Catania in order to show the potential of BIM tools in managing all the components of a multi-disciplinary infrastructure project.

The article presents the theoretical and methodological basis for structuring a research project aiming at identifying and carrying out micro-actions of urban acupuncture. An actual project has been launched to requalify the neighborhood Vucciria—an existing paradigmatic and highly degraded area in the historic center of Palermo—acting through small architectural, social and cultural interventions. The project, now on-going, and whose various phases are described, involves both residents and regular public-space users. The assessor plays a pivotal role as coordinator between the various entities and groups involved; his coordination efforts are badly needed also when identifying and managing funding sources and re-directing the available resources to new virtuous processes of urban regeneration.

In questo scritto analizzeremo le modalità attraverso le quali vengono sovvertite, con piccole azioni dei cittadini, le regole che disciplinano gli spazi urbani. Partendo dal caso studio del centro storico di Palermo illustreremo come la “conquista” anche temporanea, di strade e piazze possa permettere una rivitalizzazione ed una rivalutazione dei luoghi. Il nostro interesse è rivolto a comprendere come si siano sviluppati processi di ri-conquista dello spazio urbano, che hanno permesso di “addomesticare” alcuni spazi della città, modificando usi e configurazioni comuni, che estrapolati dal contesto abituale sono stati inseriti in nuove relazioni. La scelta di prendere Palermo come caso studio deriva da alcune caratteristiche di questa città: la prima caratteristica può essere individuata nelle sue radici storico-culturali che in qualche modo favoriscono l’insediamento di nuove comunità; l’altra caratteristica è che le forme di scambio con abitanti di diverse culture avvengono, non in periferia, ma in centro. Questo rende la città siciliana un caso non unico ma atipico nel panorama europeo, dove si tende ad avere una spinta centrifuga e quindi una emarginazione delle popolazioni non locali e dei ceti meno abbienti. Da questo punto di vista il centro di Palermo può essere considerato come una sorta di spugna, che riesce non solo ad assorbire nuove comunità ma anche ad attrarre esponenti del ceto sociale medio. A differenza di altre città europee, dove si sono innescati processi di gentrification grazie agli interventi strutturali promossi dalla pubblica amministrazione, a Palermo il processo di riqualificazione è dovuto a piccole azioni promosse dai residenti. L’inversione della tendenza degenerativa che era in atto e l’inversione dell’andamento dei valori immobiliari non è dovuta quindi ad una politica integrata, quanto alla libera iniziativa delle fasce sociali più deboli. In this script we’ll describe the everyday,little actions of the citizens that break the rules of the urban areas’ organization. Starting from the Old Town of Palermo, that we used as the example in our analysis, we’ll show how the “conquest”, even just temporary, of streets and squares could achieve a revitalization and a revaluation of quarters. Our focus is on understanding how revitalization/ re-conquest of urban areas has taken place. By altering people preconcieved ideas of areas of the city, this process achived the “domestication” of some areas that, out of their usual context, are inserted in new relations. Our choice to take Palermo as example derives from some typical characteristics of this city: the first one is due to its historical-cultural origins which, in some way, favor the settlement of new comunities; the second is that the way of live among population of different cultures develops in the centre of the city, not in the suburbs. These features make Palermo not unique, but atipical compared to the rest of Europe where immigrants and lower-class people, are generally forced to the external areas of towns. From this point of view we can imagine Palermo’s Old town as a sponge which is able not just to absorb new comunities, but also to attract people from the middle classes. In European cities gentrification processes are started thanks to projects realized by the Public Administrations, On the contrary in Palermo this process generates from actions of the inhabitants themselves. The change of degenerative trend and the increasing value in the Real Estate Market is therefore not caused by a political action, but thanks to the initiative of the lower class.