How Creative Professionals Reshape the Historic City. The Perspective of Architects as Managers of Coworking Spaces in Villanova District, Cagliari City

Abstract

Professionals and firms of the creative and cultural sector contribute to the creation of business incubators, fablabs and coworking spaces in the historic city, often benefiting from public support. Our paper deals with these creative spaces. It investigates the relationship that architects, as creative professionals and coworking managers, establish with the historic city, the workplace, and the planning and protection rules on buildings. In particular, starting from a research on coworking spaces in the historic District of Villanova, in Cagliari City (Sardinia, IT), this paper critically reflects on the current tools and methods used to map and manage creative spaces in the historic city, making some proposals for their improvement and enforcement in urban regeneration strategies.