“Vivere bene” negli spazi non costruiti di piccole e medie città “Well Living” in the Unbuilt Spaces of Small and Medium-Sized Cities

EN) According to some studies on the environment perception, the adaptation of the human kind to natural changes and the evolution of anthropic habitats are the consequence of the richness and diversity of the sensorial/emotional contextual inputs. This assumption confirms the World Health Organization positions regarding the “enabling” value of the technological-environmental systems (e.g. cities, villages and settlements). In Europe, the highest values of perceived quality of life are recorded into the medium/low urbanized areas with high/diversified presence of open and green spaces for social, creative and recreational activities. This data suggests to redefine the design of the unbuilt spaces of small/medium-sized cities within a dual vision aimed to improve and increase the “well living” of users and inhabitants. On this issue, the authors propose a comparative reflection to highlight two main possible perspectives of innovation for the technological-environmental design of the unbuilt urban spaces. The first one refers to the reinterpretation of technological performances through the measurability of capacity to establish perceptive connections able to improve the usability and liveability of the unbuilt spaces. The second innovation concerns the redefinitions of the unbuilt spaces qualities, improving their capabilities to be responsive to the new individual/collective needs, providing opportunities and deviations that generate reactivity, healthiness, inclusion and vitality. The goal is to achieve a first comparative dialogue between the user centred vision, to overcome the logic of standard performances of urban space and the universal design vision, to redefine urban unbuilt space as a regulatory-enabling environment to re-establish co-evolutionary relationships between people and nature.