Urban Regeneration: Economic and Social Impacts of a Multifunctional Sports Park in Reggio Calabria

Urban areas increasingly face complex challenges in achieving sustainability, particularly in balancing economic, social, cultural, and environmental needs. Despite their significant potential, multifunctional infrastructures remain underexplored, especially in socio-economically disadvantaged and m...

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Main Author: Lucia Della Spina
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Buildings
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/3/466
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author Lucia Della Spina
author_facet Lucia Della Spina
author_sort Lucia Della Spina
collection DOAJ
description Urban areas increasingly face complex challenges in achieving sustainability, particularly in balancing economic, social, cultural, and environmental needs. Despite their significant potential, multifunctional infrastructures remain underexplored, especially in socio-economically disadvantaged and marginal contexts, where they could play a crucial role in urban regeneration processes. This research, based on a case study of an unused urban infrastructure in Southern Italy, adopts a methodological framework to transform these abandoned urban spaces into integrated multifunctional infrastructures capable of providing social, sports, cultural, educational, and recreational services. The proposed framework offers a comprehensive decision-making tool for planners and policymakers, enabling the assessment of multifunctional infrastructures as strategic assets for urban regeneration. The study employs Discounted Cash Flow Analysis (DCFA) and Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) to assess the economic feasibility and social sustainability of the proposed project. Investment and management costs were analyzed and compared against both direct and indirect economic benefits, revealing scenarios that support the feasibility of public–private investment. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis corroborates the robustness of the model, demonstrating its applicability under variable economic and social conditions. In conclusion, the evaluation results highlight the transformative potential of multifunctional infrastructures, highlighting their ability to generate significant social and economic impacts.
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spelling doaj-art-0c9321b75d634202b3a7844c587f1cd32025-08-20T02:48:02ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-02-0115346610.3390/buildings15030466Urban Regeneration: Economic and Social Impacts of a Multifunctional Sports Park in Reggio CalabriaLucia Della Spina0Department Architecture and Design (dAeD), University Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria, 89124 Reggio Calabria, ItalyUrban areas increasingly face complex challenges in achieving sustainability, particularly in balancing economic, social, cultural, and environmental needs. Despite their significant potential, multifunctional infrastructures remain underexplored, especially in socio-economically disadvantaged and marginal contexts, where they could play a crucial role in urban regeneration processes. This research, based on a case study of an unused urban infrastructure in Southern Italy, adopts a methodological framework to transform these abandoned urban spaces into integrated multifunctional infrastructures capable of providing social, sports, cultural, educational, and recreational services. The proposed framework offers a comprehensive decision-making tool for planners and policymakers, enabling the assessment of multifunctional infrastructures as strategic assets for urban regeneration. The study employs Discounted Cash Flow Analysis (DCFA) and Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) to assess the economic feasibility and social sustainability of the proposed project. Investment and management costs were analyzed and compared against both direct and indirect economic benefits, revealing scenarios that support the feasibility of public–private investment. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis corroborates the robustness of the model, demonstrating its applicability under variable economic and social conditions. In conclusion, the evaluation results highlight the transformative potential of multifunctional infrastructures, highlighting their ability to generate significant social and economic impacts.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/3/466urban regenerationmultifunctional infrastructureeconomic sustainabilityintegrated planningpublic–private partnershipsocial inclusion
spellingShingle Lucia Della Spina
Urban Regeneration: Economic and Social Impacts of a Multifunctional Sports Park in Reggio Calabria
Buildings
urban regeneration
multifunctional infrastructure
economic sustainability
integrated planning
public–private partnership
social inclusion
title Urban Regeneration: Economic and Social Impacts of a Multifunctional Sports Park in Reggio Calabria
title_full Urban Regeneration: Economic and Social Impacts of a Multifunctional Sports Park in Reggio Calabria
title_fullStr Urban Regeneration: Economic and Social Impacts of a Multifunctional Sports Park in Reggio Calabria
title_full_unstemmed Urban Regeneration: Economic and Social Impacts of a Multifunctional Sports Park in Reggio Calabria
title_short Urban Regeneration: Economic and Social Impacts of a Multifunctional Sports Park in Reggio Calabria
title_sort urban regeneration economic and social impacts of a multifunctional sports park in reggio calabria
topic urban regeneration
multifunctional infrastructure
economic sustainability
integrated planning
public–private partnership
social inclusion
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/3/466
work_keys_str_mv AT luciadellaspina urbanregenerationeconomicandsocialimpactsofamultifunctionalsportsparkinreggiocalabria