LA RESIDENZA UNIVERSITARIA COME MOTORE DI INNOVAZIONE E RIGENERAZIONE DELLA CITTÀ

The paper studies the topic of student housing in the context of the structural changes that are affecting contemporary society. It is commonly held within the scientific and political community that the future of communities depends on the development of human and social capital. The ability to attract this social capital also depends on creating what are called 'learning communities' (Longworth, 2006). According to Longworth, in fact, such communities by encouraging citizens to invest in culture manifest a strong desire to improve the future of the place where they live. Associated with all this are the structural changes in the population that see a reduction in the number of members per household, a growing trend towards mobility of people and an increasing need for 'transitional/temporary' housing while waiting for a more stable location. Students, teachers (of all orders and degrees), temporary workers, as well as city users, constitute, therefore, a significant part of this population. These 'social categories', moreover, present particular and similar characteristics in terms of permanence in the city but demand different, though supplementary, services. The objective of the paper is therefore to analyse existing scenarios concerning these buildings, trying to identify some peculiar characteristics that can be reproduced and adapted to the Italian case.