Urban Heritage as a Driver for mental health. Reactivating Urban Memory for Collective Well-being in Turin

The paper explores the relationship between urban heritage and mental health through the action research project Healing Heritage, developed in Turin by the Politecnico di Torino. Framed within a biopsychosocial and salutogenic perspective, the project investigates how urban cultural heritage can support community well-being and social inclusion. The workshop focused on the Borgo San Paolo neighborhood, experimenting with participatory methods for the collective construction of urban memory. Activities combined analogue and digital tools, collaborative mapping, and digital storytelling, engaging students, young adults, and elderly residents as bearers of local memory. The experience highlights the potential of urban heritage as a medium for care, connection, and intergenerational dialogue, fostering belonging and inclusion through the reactivation of urban memory.