Reggio Calabria, IT – 11 July 2011
The OPEN DAYs – 7FP MARIE CURIE IRSES “COMMERCIAL LOCAL URBAN DISTRICTS’ PROJECT (CLUDs) had the objective to present and promote the CLUDs project funded by the 7th Framework Programme of European Union Research within the specific IRSES Marie Curie Action. The implementation of the project was based on a network of four EU universities (Reggio Calabria, Salford, Uppsala, Rome) and two US universities (Northeastern University of Boston, San Diego State University). The research project succeeded to explore the potential of a new tool for renovating degraded public spaces and improving the attractiveness and accessibility of deprived urban areas by focusing on the high potential of local commercial activities. The exploration was oriented to the implementation of an innovative tool, CLUDs, aimed at emphasizing the strategic role of small retails (handcraft goods and typical food stores) in reinforcing the sense of community, reducing transportation costs and contributing to the creation of an attractive urban environment, thus producing the increase of private investments. As expected, the project brought together an international and interdisciplinary research team with the purpose of forming an excellent centre of synergy in research and innovation transfer in the field of PPP applied to urban regeneration actions and policies. The OPEN DAYs was finalized to involve local stakeholders in the initial stage of the research in order to capture the innovation demand as guideline for the research development.
