Salus Space is a redevelopment and social-inclusion project centred on Villa Salus, a former care facility on Via Malvezza in Bologna, Italy. Coordinated by the Municipality of Bologna, it was developed through co-planning with local public and nonprofit organisations, universities and businesses. The original project page describes 17 participating organisations; a related municipal account identifies the project as having been drawn up by the city’s Institute for Social and Community Inclusion with 16 local partners. 12
The project was selected for funding through the European Commission’s Urban Innovative Actions programme. Its three-year plan had a budget of €5 million to restore the Villa and its surrounding park and create accommodation, work opportunities and services for the city. 12 The project began in November 2016; the partnership agreement was signed in May 2017. 87
The planned site combined temporary housing and a hostel with a restaurant, gardens, craft workshops, coworking, cultural activities and spaces for recreation and training. 1 Its stated purpose was to support the social and economic inclusion of migrants and refugees while also serving local residents. The project also sought to involve disadvantaged people in refurbishment work and vocational training, and to support migrants and refugees in developing social-enterprise start-ups and helping manage services. 110
The project was led by the City of Bologna and brought together organisations including ASP Città di Bologna, the University of Bologna, social cooperatives, training providers and associations. 36 The original plan proposed completion in 2019, while a later regional account records the spaces’ inauguration and the start of experimental management in 2021. 111