Actions against air pollution in Turin for a healthy and playable city

ABSTRACT

The north-western city of Turin, Italy, well known for the FIAT car industry, representing the leading Italian example of a one-company town, ranks the highest Italian level of PM10 air pollution, among the worst in Europe. According to epidemiologists, children’s health in Turin is severely affected by air pollution, primarily originated from private motorized traffic. Based on this data, a complaint against Turin’s Mayor was recently filed by a citizen who hypothesized the City’s violation of the right to a healthy city for everyone. However, children’s right to breathe unpolluted air is even more jeopardized in poorer neighbourhoods, where no traffic restriction policies are implemented, unlike the privileged and wealthy historical centre. Our research approach aimed at experimenting some low-cost interventions, acting simultaneously on the material and cultural conditions negatively influencing both public policies and citizens’ behaviour. Actions with younger children and parents’ participation in monitoring and mapping air quality as well as re-shaping public spaces for a healthier and playable city are presented and discussed as key points for successful implementation and dissemination policies in Turin and elsewhere.

KEYWORDS:

• Childhood
• city; health; air; pollution; justice; playable

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Bernard van Leer Foundation under Grant ‘Urban95 challenge’ [ITA-2017-023-U95C] (https://bernardvanleer.org/solutions/urban95/).

Notes on contributors

Elisabetta Forni

Elisabetta Forni is an Urban and Environmental Sociologist at Turin’s Politecnico (Italy) with long lasting experience on children in the city research. Author of various books and articles on that specific issue.

Emanuele Negro

Emanuele Negro is a Senior Environmental Physicist, with long lasting experience on energy, environment and sustainable development.

Chiara Carlucci

Chiara Carlucci is a freelance architect. She studied and worked in Berlin on her thesis 'Children’s right to the city', acquiring a deep knowledge on urban planning, children’s participation and mobility.

Angela Nasso

Angela Nasso is an architect, specializing in Urban Planning, Local Development and Environmental/territorial policies, citizen’s participation, stakeholders networking and sustainable mobility.

Mirjam Struppek

Mirjam Struppek graduated in Berlin and works as independent urbanist and festival curator on the sustainable liveability of public space transformed through new media and artistic participatory interventions.