Proximity Culture as a Tool for Urban Regeneration: Three «Urban Fables»

This paper explores how «proximity culture» - that is, cultural initiatives deeply rooted in local communities - can serve as a lever for inclusive urban regeneration. Through a qualitative analysis of three Italian case studies (the FOQUS foundation in Naples, the Made in Cloister foundation in Naples, and Farm Cultural Park in Favara, Sicily), the study examines common strategies and impacts of community-based cultural interventions. The findings highlight that all three projects transformed underused historical spaces into multi-functional cultural hubs and actively involved local residents, leading to improved social cohesion, enhanced local identity and significant community benefits. Despite the lack of structured impact measurements, evidence suggests positive outcomes in terms of quality of life and economic opportunities (e.g. new services, jobs, and tourism development) while mitigating negative side-effects such as gentrification. The comparative analysis identifies key factors for success - a shared vision, adaptation to context, innovative public-private governance, and the active engagement of «heritage communities». These experiences demonstrate that proximity culture can be a powerful driver of sustainable urban regeneration and offer lessons and models potentially replicable in other territories.