Context

Turin is the fourth largest city in Italy by population, with approximately 850,000 inhabitants, and the core of a vast metropolitan area with over 2 million people. Located in the northwest of the country, it is the capital of the Piedmont region and is situated between the Po Valley and the Alps. Known for its industrial past, it was the birthplace of the Italian automotive industry with Fiat and today stands out for its diversified economy.

Today, Turin finds itself at a decisive moment in its history: on one hand, it boasts a solid economy, excellence in various sectors, and a carefully planned urban fabric; on the other, it faces demographic and urban stagnation. After starting to lose residents in the 1970s, this trend continued for decades, with a slight increase at the beginning of the millennium and a recent sign of stabilization in 2023. However, the city struggles to retain businesses, talent, and foreign populations. The Administration's goal is to break this vicious cycle and unleash the potential and energy of the city, for the benefit of both current and future residents.

The current Urban Master Plan of Turin, the main tool regulating the city's urban development, dates back to 1995. Today, the Administration is working on a new Plan that interprets urban and social transformations, balancing flexibility with public management. The goal is to meet the new needs of its residents and create a dynamic and sustainable development model.

Precedents

Turin has been a pioneer in the active involvement of its residents in urban policies, with experiences such as the Case di Quartiere (Neighborhood Houses), which have created spaces for dialogue and shared design. In recent years, participatory processes have multiplied, involving various areas of the administration, also due to European programs that tie funding to co-design practices.

Despite this consolidated tradition, the listening process initiated for the new Urban Master Plan represents an unprecedented innovation. Working on a technical instrument becomes an opportunity for widespread citizen involvement. The Voci di Quartiere project places the city's neighborhoods at the center. Through workshops, surveys, and public meetings, residents expressed their needs and aspirations for the city's future urban development, creating a co-design space to collectively build the vision for Turin.

The participatory initiatives were conducted by Urban Lab, the urban center of the city, which for over twenty years has played a key role in documenting and narrating urban transformations, and with the contribution of Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic organization that works for the empowerment of cities worldwide by providing consultancy and promoting the exchange of best practices on urban-related issues.

Objectives

The objective of the practice is to:

• Structure and encourage dialogue with citizens and local communities.
• Bring the debate into public spaces, reaching those who usually do not participate.
• Stimulate reflection on the quality of life, spaces, and services in the neighborhoods.
• Integrate physical and digital tools to expand the audience.
• Use playful and interactive elements to encourage engagement and a sense of belonging.

Methodology

The project has an incremental nature and has been structured in several phases, with the aim of reaching diverse audiences.
The practice began in the early months of 2023 with a listening process promoted by the City of Turin and Urban Lab, involving over 6,000 people and 320 organizations in three main events, targeting institutional entities, stakeholders and local constituencies.

In 2024, attention shifted to citizens and local communities, with a more grassroots approach in the neighborhoods. From April to November, over 4,300 people participated in meetings, opinion collections, and discussions on urban quality of life. The cargo bike Alfonsina, an itinerant symbol of the project, traveled over 400 km to bring the debate into public spaces. More than 50 local entities hosted and supported the activities. The methodologies used in this phase include:

• Meetings in Local Community Hubs focusing on four topics: services, public spaces, mobility, and housing.
• Urban walks to discover local initiatives and to discuss problems and solutions.
• Performances to engage families and young people in a playful way.
• Dialogues in markets and squares to give voice to those who do not participate in traditional channels.
• Digital activities, with challenges and rewards, to broaden participation

Commmunication

The communication strategy consisted of a multi-channel approach to maximize citizen engagement. An urban guerrilla campaign was carried out, with visual materials in public spaces to stimulate curiosity and attract. The dissemination occurred through local partners, such as Case di Quartiere (Neighborhood Houses) and associations, as well as through the institutional channels of the City of Turin and Urban Lab.

At the same time, a digital campaign was launched on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, with targeted content to reach different audiences and encourage interaction.

Innovation

The innovation in practice lies in the methodology adopted: participation is not simply a complement to the Urban Master Plan, but becomes an opportunity to activate lasting channels of dialogue with citizens. The process does not end with temporary involvement but aims to strengthen a culture of continuous participation. This process marks a shift, transforming participation from an accessory element to an opportunity for ongoing discussion and dialogue between the administration and the city.
Another innovative aspect is the collaboration with local partners, which enables reaching audiences that are difficult to engage and strengthens territorial empowerment, creating a network of actors capable of sustaining the urban debate over time.

Inclusion

The innovation in practice lies in the methodology adopted: participation is not simply a complement to the Urban Master Plan, but becomes an opportunity to activate lasting channels of dialogue with citizens. The process does not end with temporary involvement but aims to strengthen a culture of continuous participation. This process marks a shift, transforming participation from an accessory element to an opportunity for ongoing discussion and dialogue between the administration and the city.
Another innovative aspect is the collaboration with local partners, which enables reaching audiences that are difficult to engage and strengthens territorial empowerment, creating a network of actors capable of sustaining the urban debate over time.

Evaluation

The practice was evaluated through constant monitoring of the number and profile of participants, with ongoing adjustments to improve accessibility and inclusion. Both quantitative data, such as the number of citizens involved and the responses to questionnaires, and qualitative data, through direct feedback sessions, were collected. A constant dialogue with local partners helped identify challenges and opportunities, ensuring a flexible and responsive process, and their active participation in the design phase helped shape the activities based on the real needs of the territory, promoting wider and more diverse engagement. In 2025, there will be a return to the neighborhoods with a series of meetings dedicated to validating the results with the public.

Impacts and result

Thanks to the practice, we achieved broad community involvement.

The three events developed in 2023 were attended by more than 1400 participants with the involvement of hundreds of local stakeholders. 

In 2024 we reached more than 4300 citizens (1,600 people attended in person) and we engaged more than 200 organizations, groups, and associations. With 50 events in the city and 4 participation campaigns, the project stimulated widespread and accessible dialogue.

The 5,000 responses collected in the online surveys provided a clear picture of urban needs, influencing the city's strategies on public spaces, services, and quality of life in the neighborhoods.

The initiative had a significant impact on public policies, providing valuable data and insights for the development of the new Master Plan and other Administration's policies. This process also strengthened participatory democracy in Turin, creating an institutionalized listening model that allows citizens to actively contribute to urban decisions, consolidating a stable channel of dialogue between the administration and local communities.

Practice overview

'Voci di Quartiere' is an initiative promoted by the City of Turin and curated by Urban Lab, which is part of a listening and dialogue process aimed at defining the city's new Master Plan. The project's goal is to stimulate shared reflection on the quality of life in Turin's neighborhoods, public services, and spaces, and to promote the inclusion of all voices in the creation of the future city.

In 2023, the City of Turin, with the support of Urban Lab, launched a listening process that involved institutions, intermediary bodies, and local actors through a series of events and meetings designed to gather suggestions, ideas, and visions for the city. Two moments of dialogue and co-learning took place in June and November to discuss three central themes, key to the new Master Plan: economy and knowledge, environment and territory, and city life. Participants discussed the limitations of the current urban plan and future challenges, gathering valuable input for drafting a new territorial governance tool.

Subsequently the City organized a dialogue and engagement program in all eight constituencies through public meetings, information points, and an online questionnaire. This program allowed citizens to better understand the Master Plan process, share their opinions, and suggest projects, emerging topics, or concerns. The aim was to make the participatory process accessible to everyone, offering opportunities for discussion and feedback in every corner of the city.

In 2024, the 'Voci di Quartiere' project extended this dialogue to neighborhood residents by offering a series of meetings and activities to gather direct feedback from Turin citizens about life in their neighborhoods. These meetings were complemented by a digital environment that utilized game and interaction tools to engage citizens innovatively, encouraging active participation and creating a sense of belonging. Participants had the chance to win prizes such as tickets to cultural and sports events, boosting interaction and participation in urban dynamics.

In 2025, the 'Voci di Quartiere' journey will continue with a new series of neighborhood meetings, aiming to consolidate and expand the dialogue already initiated and share the results of the listening activities.In this way, the project is consolidating as a lasting channel for dialogue and discussion with citizens and local partners on the city's policies.

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