Urban resilience and enhancement of the commerce of Piacenza old town center 

Retail trade assumes a central role in recent urban regeneration projects. It is considered by many as an enlivening instrument in urban society, not only due to the repercussion on the economic fabric of the area, but also on account of the power to attract flows of people and of its ability to foster the development of a web of relationships. This paper takes into consideration the district “Quartiere Roma” in the old town centre of Piacenza. In that district is under way a participated project which aims at the urban regeneration of the area. This contribution analyses methods and results of the project Porta Galera 3.0, and highlights the versatile role that planners assign to the retail trade in urban, economic and relational requalification of the district itself. 

Keywords: retail, resilience, participative approach, Piacenza, urban regeneration.