Il Carcere come Città nella Città. Sicurezza, Qualità di Vita e Sostenibilità per la Casa Circondariale Genova Pontedecimo

Addressing the spatial dimension of prisons contributes to promoting wellbeing for all stakeholders living and working therein. From the review of international literature and Italian regulations, no useful technical manual for prison design/regeneration is available. The paper therefore outlines a transdisciplinary methodology for bridging this gap and provides a participatory approach for the coplanning of such facilities which, given their architectural layout, the actors and functions involved, are conceptualized as Cities in the City. As part of a multi-actor, interactive collaboration and negotiation process, the element of space – availability, distribution, quality, accessibility – is analyzed and strategic actions are defined to improve security-safety, quality of life and sustainability. The methodology is applied to the regeneration of the Genoa Pontedecimo Prison.