Transference of the “Albergo Diffuso” Model to Spain: Regeneration of Uninhabited Rural Areas

Abstract

In recent years, human health and user wellbeing have become more important in contemporary society and urban quality. This has been highlighted by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the world. Generating open-air urban spaces constitutes an opportunity to design walkable areas and paths that can produce direct positive effects on environmental health and indirect consequences on “lifestyles”. This design vision can be implemented within small localities where there are still important continuities and long-term relationships between the human scale of public spaces and the sense of place related to historic/traditional infrastructural pathways. The interest of various international research and of the WHO (World Health Organization) itself extends the subject of public health to the relationship of the individual with the environment, and with the rest of the social interactions, considering the latter a factor that can affect the reduction of illnesses. In order to act in the direction of improving people’s health, to determine the conditions for a life free of diseases and disabilities, and to generate cities and common spaces of use capable of encouraging the adoption of healthy and active lifestyles by people of all ages, the research makes a comparison between possible interventions in Italy and Spain.