22 September
A school plaza for everyone! - Inauguration of a new school plaza - 4.30 PM - PIAZZA PELLICO 6, 10023 CHIERI (TO) ITALY
In Chieri (near Turin, Italy), a participatory 2-year process involving the local Government, a primary School (Pellico) and a secondary school (Levi), residents and local retailers have made it possible to pedestrianize the street in front of the schools, thus creating a larger liveable space that connects the school building and a public garden.
The Municipality of Chieri by LaQUP Asspociation and financial support of Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo in cooperation with Politecnico di Torino and a group of associations (Architettura senza frontiere Piemonte onlus, Labsus, Rete Or.Me., Torino respira,) engaged teachers, students, families in co-designing the public space in front of the schools. A Planning for a Real 3D model was made and used for consultations with the local community and a 3D rendering of the school community's ideas was produced in a workshop by Turin's FabLab.
On 22nd September the new school plaza will be officially opened: a new safe space for everyone, with new U bike racks to invite students to bike to school. Soon boys and girls will start working with a local illustrator in order to turn the grey asphalt into a colourful plaza. Greening actions will also take place in autumn.
Meanwhile a collaboration pact is in progress, in order to involve the local community in looking after the new space and organising activities to make it vibrant.