“Teatro. Punto e a capo”: the participatory process goes onstage

How to involve the local community in the design of the new Empoli Cultural Park

In view of the preliminary design of its New Civic Theatre, the Municipality of Empoli has commissioned Avventura Urbana to involve citizens in the participatory process “Teatro. Punto e a capo” (Theatre. Point to top) aimed at guiding the future design of the new public space with cultural value and establishing the management methods and functions of it.

The process, pointing at the activation of mixed practices that take place from the experience of participatory planning and the world of service design, trigger a process of reactivation of the cultural ferment and realities present in the area, and of raising awareness while approaching the culture to the local community.

In particular, from October 2021 to April 2022, Avventura Urbana Tuscan team was responsible for planning, managing and conducting the dialogue and discussion process, in order to intercept the needs and requirements of the local community and translating and adapting the design of the New Municipal Theater to the specificities of Empoli area and the wishes of its inhabitants.

In order to bring citizens closer to the project of the new Municipal Theater and to accompany the urban transformation project, the involvement process continued with the activation of the awareness and communication path “Teatro in cantiere!” (Theatre under construction!), activated by the Municipality of Empoli and managed by Avventura Urbana from October 2022 to May 2023.

The process, through the activation of specific communication and territorial actions, as well as the implementation of Visual design and Wayfinding interventions, saw the involvement of various target audiences and the use of the spaces affected by the project, even before its realization, already with their future vocation, in order to stimulate the sense of belonging to the place.