Case Studies 

Please note that these Hall of Shame nominations were written in a moment in time (most over a decade ago) and likely have since changed or even been transformed. If the above entry is now great, or still not so great, go ahead and comment below on how it has evolved or nominate it as a great place.

*Nominee 

Dispersione Zero

Sassari

Italy

Contributed by 
Project for Public Spaces
 on 
June 24, 2019
May 1, 2024

Every public space intervention is a learning experience. One project that takes this concept very seriously is Dispersione Zero, which enrolled 20 primary school students at risk of dropping out to build furniture and revive a bleak sidewalk.

What makes it Great?

Why it doesn't work?

Sometimes the process of creating a public space can be as meaningful as the space itself. This is the case for Dispersione Zero, a collaborative project by a primary school and placemaking organization TaMaLaCà. Dispersione Zero, which roughly translates to “Zero Dropout,” involved 20 students, aged 11 to 13, who were at risk of dropping out. Using grant funding (approximately 5000 euros) from the Ministry of Education, project leaders purchased the equipment to create a small carpentry workshop. Students then used the new workshop to build creative, colorful street furniture, and dispersed it along an underused sidewalk that had previously been a grim element of the daily walk to school. The result was a bright, inviting space that brought students and other members of the community together to rest, play, read, and people-watch. 

The installation was temporary—a splash of color that lasted for two days—but the carpentry workshop remains in the school. In a context of limited municipal budgets, Dispersione Zero made unconventional use of a national grant to simultaneously reimagine the futures of the urban space and the students themselves.

Access & Linkages

Comfort & Image

Uses & Activities

Sociability

How Light?

How Quick?

How Cheap?

History & Background

Related Links & Sources

Dispersione Zero
Photo Credit (All): TaMaLaCà
Dispersione Zero
Dispersione Zero
Dispersione Zero
Dispersione Zero
Dispersione Zero
Dispersione Zero
Dispersione Zero

*Please note that these Hall of Shame nominations were written in a moment in time (most over a decade ago) and likely have since changed or even been transformed. If the above entry is now great, or still not so great, go ahead and comment below on how it has evolved or nominate it as a great place.

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