Designing the public works values

Abstract

What are public works, and under what conditions can they be considered a “common value” recognized by the community? The contributions to issue n. 28 of TECHNE Journal delve into these conditions, offering critical reflections and research advancements that examine cities, buildings, places, and public services from the perspective that «the entire urban space must be regarded as something produced, owned, and transformed collectively» (Marella, 2024). There are three main areas of reflection and proposal: the first involves the methods and procedural and design tools that can be employed for the recovery and adaptive reuse of public works facing functional obsolescence, abandonment, and/or decay; the second addresses the regenerative processes of public spaces and entire urban sectors with a focus on usability and environmental sustainability; and the third concerns the participatory design of public works as a vital lever for the creation of social value. This set of design actions is well-supported by analytical and evaluative tools that guide the decision-making process, all driven by an interest in optimizing the socio-economic, cultural, and environmental benefits that can result from more effective and efficient public works production and management processes, especially in response to evolving social demands.