The research aimed to develop an integrated model for designing and managing the Periurban Agricultural Park of the Piana, with a focus on sustainability, resource management, land planning, and the balance between agriculture and urban development.

Agricultural Park of the Piana

My role

Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Worked with the Service Design Lab and the Urban Bio-region Research Unit, applying UX and Service Design methodologies to address complex challenges in a holistic way.

Participatory Co-Design: Managed a collaborative design process involving various stakeholders, such as institutions, citizens, and local associations, with a focus on ecological regeneration and biodiversity.

UX & Service Design Tools: Used tools such as Stakeholder Mapping, Ecosystem Mapping, Personas, and Infographics to foster collaboration and engage users in the design process.

Facilitation: Coordinated a cohesive workflow between different professionals to develop integrated and sustainable solutions for land management.

Project brief

The project aims to develop a management plan for the Parco Agricolo della Piana through a research agreement between the University of Florence and Regione Toscana. It focuses on transitioning to a public/private partnership management model, inspired by Community Led Local Development (CLLD).

The project includes several phases: collecting and systematizing territorial data, creating economic-territorial scenarios, facilitating co-design processes, and developing a territorial project that promotes sustainability and agro-ecological regeneration.

It also involves defining a Business Model for the Park and establishing a public/private management model, with a focus on participatory practices and pilot actions to integrate policies for effective implementation. Collaboration with local stakeholders and institutional actors is key to its success.

Context of the research

An area of over 8,000 hectares of farmland between Prato and Florence, connected to the urban and industrial fabric, spanning eight municipalities and home to 720,336 inhabitants (ISTAT).

Vista satellitare di una città circondata da campi agricoli e montagne.

We conducted research on the context of the PAP and its history, with the goal of gaining an overall understanding of its evolution over time.

Research Clusters

I developed a list of stakeholders and actors of the park, dividing them into three thematic areas.

Icone di tre simboli rappresentanti agricoltura, cibo e attività ricreative con testo in italiano e inglese: 'Agriculture, Livestock & Environment', 'Food', 'Recreational activities & culture'.

Stakeholder Map

I created a mapping of all stakeholders, grouping them based on their importance to the project.

Diagramma circolare con vari soggetti coinvolti nel settore alimentare, agricolo e ambientale, inclusi associazioni, consorzi, fondazioni e organizzazioni. La sezione centrale indica 'Core' con vari nomi e acronimi di associazioni e consorzi, mentre la fascia esterna mostra soggetti potenziali e chiave, come FAI, WWF, Coldiretti e altri, tutti con rispettivi ruoli e affiliazioni.

Participatory process

I contributed to the design of a collaborative design process that involved various stakeholders, such as institutions, citizens, and local associations, with a focus on ecological regeneration and biodiversity.

5

Focus group

3

Thematic Tables

3

Park Visits

Un relatore sta parlando a un pubblico di adulti seduti in una sala conferenze, alcune persone stanno prendendo appunti o usando il telefono

Tools

Within the participatory process, I have designed specific tools to support participants in their activities and effectively collect the gathered information.

Infografica intitolata 'Food Poli-Hub' con sezioni 'Where', 'What', 'Who', 'How', 'Why', e 'When'. Contiene punti chiave su attività e attori del Food Poli-Hub, come programmi, logistica, partnership con aziende agricole, qualità dell'identità del marchio, e date di attività.

Outcomes

At the conclusion of the project, we prepared reports for the Tuscany Region with the aim of defining a management model for the Park.