The public city and a new welfare. Regulatory inclusiveness and territorial equipment

Public endowments are one of the fundamental pillars for the proper functioning of urban life. Services such as health, education, green spaces and sports, and social assistance not only guarantee the well-being of citizens but, above all, contribute to reducing social inequalities and promoting inclusion. The article reflects on studies from the 2000s that identify a ‘new urban question’ and advocate for the development of a new urban welfare. Revisiting the provisions and techniques that traditionally regulate the construction of the public city in Italy since 1968, the paper highlights the need to innovate with more effective and redistributive solutions, especially considering the 2001 reform of Title V of the Constitution, the devices for the planning, acquisition and management of spaces and equipment aimed at guaranteeing the minimum endowment and supply of services that must be ensured throughout the country, in order to protect the social and civil rights of citizens. The contents of the bill of principles for spatial government and planning submitted by INU (February 2024) are illustrated and argued. The conclusions recognize urban regeneration as one of the most important public actions to be practiced through an urban plan that can ensure the conditions for constructing a new urban welfare, recoding social and environmental issues.