The European Union received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012. Talking on the subject, Jurgen Habermas identified three great feats accomplished by the Union: achieving peace after repeated fratricidal wars, developing the constitutional strength of democracy, and the Welfare State. This book deals with the relationship between welfare policies and cities. It examines the ways in which complex sets of actions designed to improve people's well-being can shape a city, by depositing facilities in certain areas and improving access to them. Conversely, it explores how cities contribute (or fail to contribute) to the well-being of their inhabitants. The reflections offered here are the result of research carried out in recent years, mainly through continuous analysis of city spaces, the development of associated projects, and a deconstruction of Welfare policies.
The book consists of two parts. In the first, we attempt to define the concept of 'welfare space'. In the second, we analyze the results of welfare policies that have been enacted in the Veneto central area. From our results, we develop several projects that re-imagine the contemporary city in greater totality.
