PINETA SACCHETTI - Cornell AAP...Pineta Sacchetti is a rare oasis in Rome where neighbors all know...

PINETASACCHETTICRP 4016: Rome Workshop Spring 2017 Cornell UniversityCollege of Architecture, Art, and Planning

RAQUEL BLANDON, GRAY BRAKKE, EDUARDO CARMELO DANOBEYTIA, JOSH GLASSER, AMELIA VISNAUSKAS

A village without a name.

PINETA SACCHETTI | ROME WORKSHOP

OnourfirstdayasaresearchteaminPinetaSacchetti,westumbledacrossalemontree.Perfectlyplacedinfrontofapale,yellowhouse,itwashardnottono-tice.AskepticalwomancameoutsideofherhometoseewhatthisstrangegroupofAmericanstudentsweredoing,meanderingalongherstreet.

Aftermakingintroductions,wesoonlearnedthatthiswomanhadinheritedherhousefromherparents,whohadinheritedthehomefromhergrandfather.Hergrandfatherwastheone,infact,whohadplantedthestrikinglemontree.Shetookgreatjoyeachmorninginseeingthelemontreeoutofherbedroomwindowandfeelingtheconnectiontothegenerationsthathadcomebeforeher.

PinetaSacchettiisarareoasisinRomewhereneighborsallknowoneanother,eldersstillwalktothemarketforproduceeveryday,andresidentsstillharvestthefruitsoftherichhistorythatcamebeforethem.

Photo:GrayBrakke

In Pineta Sacchetti, residents still harvest the fruits of the rich history that came before them.

WewouldliketothankthegroupsandindividualsofPinetaSacchettiwhocontributedtoourresearchfortheirinvaluablecontributionstoourreport.Itscompletionisaresultoftheirgenerosityandhospitality.

LibraryCasaDelParco,EnnioDeRisio,PinacciNostri,PietroLucari,DanielaRinaldi,ScuolaPrimariaAndreaBaldi,ScuolaMediaSistoII,DanieleLiberatore,CentroAnzianiPinetaSacchetti,Allofthestudentsandtheirfamiles,whoparticipatedinourphotovoiceexcercise,themembersofthe

CentroAnzianiwhocompletedquestionnaires,GruppoUnicaRealEstateAgency,VivianaAndriola,SerenaMuccitelli,GregorySmith,andEngagedCornell.


PINETASACCHETTI

A village without a name.

ANeighborhoodStudyCompiledinfufillmentof:

CRP4160:RomeWorkshopCornellUniversityinRome

CollegeofArchitecture,Art,andPlanning

Spring2017

Faculty:MildredWarner,PhD,Professor

GregorySmith,D.Phil,VisitingCriticVivianaAndriola,PhD,TeachingAssistantSerenaMuccitelli,ABD,TeachingAssistant

RAQUEL BLANDON • GRAY BRAKKE • EDUARDO CARMELO DANOBEYTIA • JOSH GLASSER • AMELIA VISNAUSKAS


Parco Regionale Urbano del PinetoPineto Regional Urban ParkOfficiallyprotectedbytheregionofLazioin1987,thisparkhasservedasaunifyinglandmarkthroughouttheneighborhood’shistory.This240hectareparkwasoncethesiteoftheSacchettifamilyvilla.TodayitboastsamightystandofRomanpinesandaclearviewofSt.Peter’sBasilica.

Photo:GrayBrakke


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 1i

Pineta Sacchetti Today 11ii

iii Community Engagement 27

2 Abstract 3 LiteratureReview:WhatisChildandAgeFriendliness? 5 History 7 Methodologies:ResearchandEngagement

12 ResidentsandEmployment14 Housing15 LandUseandBuildings19 StreetsandMobility25 Institutions

28 PhotoEssay36 Findings41 Conclusion:AccesibilityandIdentityinPinetaSacchetti


INTRODUCTION

1 Photo:GrayBrakke


2

Pineta Sacchetti: A village without a name. PinetaSacchetti,aprototypicalRomanpostwarcommunity,highlightstheprom-ises and pitfalls of an unplanned neighborhood. Located three kilometers from theVaticanCity,theneighborhoodissituatedalongsidethePinetoRegionalPark,agath-eringplaceandsymbolof identity for theneighborhood.TheneighborhoodwasbornwhenfamiliesbegantosettlethelandnearPrimavalle,afascist-eraborgata,orpublichousingproject.WhileinitiallyamereoutgrowthofPrimavalle,PinetaSacchettidevel-oped into its own neighborhood through self-building and development that explodedinthe1950s.Sincetheareawasdevelopedwithoutanyoversightonafamily-by-fam-ily basis, services have had to be retrofitted to existing structures. Walking throughthe neighborhood’s haphazard street network today, one notices shops and serviceswedged into ground floors, a frequent lack of sidewalks, and amosaic of apartmentblocks.Despitethesedesignchallenges,wehavediscoveredaprofoundsenseofcom-munity in Pineta Sacchetti fomented by critical institutions like its library and school.

ABSTRACT

PinetaSacchetti’s core is primarily residentialand bounded by major roads providing transit ser-vices and commercial uses. The lack of sidewalks,hilly topography, and narrow roads in the core sug-gest inaccessibility for children and elders. Yet, ourinitial interviews have uncovered that this self-builtformmay have benefits for children and elders thatare sometimes forgotten. Many citizens have de-scribedthebenefitsofavillage-likeneighborhoodthatcomeswith having a residential core.Moreover,wehavefoundadistinctsenseofcommunityinaneigh-borhoodthatwasuntilrecentlycastasideasaresid-ualurbanspace.Throughtheuseofquantitativeandcommunity engagement activities, including partici-patoryphotographywithchildrenandquestionnairesfor the elderly,we look to further our understandingof how this neighborhood is child and age friendly.

Essentially, we aim to answer the follow-ing research question. Pineta Sacchetti is an un-planned, imperfectly maintained neighborhood thatdoes not align with the literature ideals of child orage friendliness. What can an organically grownneighborhood provide in terms of social frame-work that these design standards alone cannot?

MapI:ContextMap

Photo:GrayBrakke


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How does Pineta Sacchetti conform or deviate from international standards of child and age

friendliness in cities?What is child and age friendliness?

LITERATURE REVIEW

Astandardfromwhichtomeasurechildandagefriendlinesscomes from literature presented by theWorldHealthOrganization,UNICEF, and various researchers. Widely accepted standards forchildandagefriendlinessconsider transit,housing,services,publicspaces,maintenance,safety,accessibility,andotheraspectsof thebuiltenvironment.

Anagefriendlycityhasaffordable,well-maintained,easilyac-cessedhomes.Further,transitisclean,affordable,andcaneasilytakepeoplewheretheyactuallyneedtogo.Thereshouldbemanyservicesthatarenearbyandaresufficientforallneedsoftheinhabitantsoftheneighborhood,includinghealthservices.Asubstantialamountofpub-licspacesandplacesofrefugeshouldbepresentwithintheneighbor-hood,includinggreenspaces.Theareashouldbesafe,guardedbywhatJaneJacobsdescribesas“eyesonthestreet.”Thedesignoftheneighborhoodshouldenhanceperceptionsofsafetyaswell.Anareaupheldaschildandagefriendlymakesanefforttoincludetheelderlyandchildreninthecommunityactivities.

Themajorityoftheemphasisinthesestandardsisputonthephysical aspects of a neighborhood. Yet, there are various layers,present inanycommunity, thatacceptedliteratureonchildandagefriendlinessdoesnotaccountfor.ThroughstudyingPinetaSacchetti,wehavechallengedourinitialperceptionsthattheneighborhoodwasnotagefriendly,becauseofdesign“flaws”andvariousimpedimentstoaccessibility.Theliteraturepointedtothisnotbeingachildoragefriendlyarea.

Photo:GrayBrakke


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For example, the neighborhood’s hilly topography makes itevenmoredifficult to reach themetroorbusstops,whichareonlylocatedon theouterarterial streets that surroundPinetaSacchetti.Manystreetshavenarrowsidewalks,sidewalksononlyoneside,ornosidewalksatall.Therearefewpublicspaces,andthemajorityoftheonesthatdoexistareinstitutionalbuildingsandnotfullypublic.

Incontrast,sincethemajorityofthetrafficisontheouterareasoftheneighborhoodwheretheprimaryroadsare,thereislessneedforsidewalksinthearea.Lessflowinthecoreoftheneighborhoodallowspedestrianstofeelsafeandconverseonstreetcorners.Thishelpstomaintainthestrongvillage-likecharacterdescribedconstantlybyintervieweesandcommunityactors.Theinterviewswehavecon-ductedintheneighborhoodhaveindicatedthattheneighborhoodisinfactquitedesirableforchildrenandtheelderly.Despitehillytopogra-phy,poortransitconnectivity,inconsistentstreetsandsidewalks,andaginghousingstock,almostallofPinetaSacchetti’sagingpopulationdecidetoageinplace.Atthesametime,thereisaninfluxofincreas-inglywealthyandwell-educatedyoungfamilies. ThereisastrongsenseofcommunityinPinetaSacchetti,andastilldevelopingidentity,whichisbeingfosteredthroughthehelpofvariouscommunitygroupsandinstitutions.WhatmakesPinetaSac-chettichildandagefriendly,asconfirmedbyitscitizens,haslesstodowithurbandesignfeaturesandstandardsdescribedindominantliter-ature,andmoretodowiththevaluesandsocialstructuresthatexistinthisclose-knitcommunity,thathasasuchastrongsocial-institutionalframeworksupportingit.

Inthefollowingchapters,wewilldescribetheuniquechalleng-es that this unplanned neighborhood faces, as well as the uniquesolutionsandsocialfabricsthathavegrowntomeetthem.

Figure1:Oneoftheneighborhood’sinteriorstreets,ViaUrbanoII,isopenonlytopedestriansatcertaintimesofday,whenitservesastheneighborhood’sonlyopenairmarket.

Photo:AmeliaVisnauskas


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From agricultural village to peripheral neighborhood to urban core.HISTORY

TheconceptofPinetaSacchettiasadistinctneighborhoodisrelativelymodern.Eventoday,dependingonwhomoneasks,adis-tinctneighborhooddescribedas“PinetaSacchetti”mightsimplynotexist.MuchofthehistoryofourprescribedPinetaSacchettineighbor-hoodboundariesisastrictlyoraltradition.Asaresult,anydiscussionof thehistoryof theneighborhoodwillhaveoccasionallyconflictingchronologiesandother frictions.Thefollowinghistoricaloverview isacompilationoftheseoraltraditions,collectedviadozensofresidentinterviews,withoccasionaleditoriallibertiestakenfornarrativecohe-sion.

MostaccountsofthehistoryofPinetaSacchettibeginwiththedominantreligiouspresencewithinthearea,specificallythatoftheVat-ican,anditsimpactonthebuiltenvironment.Theoldeststorytoldofthe

neighborhood isactuallyof theadjacentvalley,ValleAurelia,whichwashometoabrickproductionfacilitythatallegedlyfiredmanyofthebricksusedfortheconstructionofSt.Peter’sBasilica.Thisproductionfacilitygrew tobenicknamedLaValledell’Inferno,or the “ValleyofHell”foritsnoxiousfumes,redlights,andfreneticindustrialactivity.

Alongthesideofthisvalley,thefirstknownresidencewascon-structedinwhatistodaythecenterofPinetoRegionalPark.GiftedthelandbyPopeUrbanXX,theSacchettifamilycommissionedPietrodaCortona,oneoftheleadersin17thcenturyvilladesign,todesignandconstructtheVillaSacchetti.Theresultwasaquiteextravagantcasi-no,orpleasurehouse,meanttocreateacomplexforwildernessandescapefromthecity.Despitethefameandattentionthisvillaattract-ed,however,thechangingfortunesoftheSacchettifamilyresultedintherapiddilapidationoftheproperty,withlittlecurrentvisualevidenceofthevilla’sexistence.PerhapsthemostprominentlegacyoftheVillaSacchetti is thenameSacchetti itself,whichhas lingeredonasthenamesakeofPinetaSacchetti.

Followingthecollapseof theVillaSacchetti, the landdirectlywestoftheparksitecontinuedtooperateasagriculturalandlivestockproductionfortheVatican.Specifically,theCapitolodiSanPietro(anagriculturalorganizationaffiliatedwiththeVatican)cultivatedthelandtogrowgrains,medicinalplants,andgrazingfacilitiesforthebovineproduction locatedwithin theparkarea.Cowswere raisedboth fordairy production and slaughter, housed primarily in the only otherstructurewithinthevillagrounds,calledtheVaccheria.Thestill-stand-ingtwostorystructurewouldalsohousefarmersontheshorter,sec-ondstory.Thesefarmerswereresponsibleforoperatingtheagricul-turaloperationforthechurch,whilealsomaintainingthesurroundingvillagrounds.ThesaleofthevillasitetotheTorloniafamilyin1861

Figure2:TheVillaSacchetti,constructedinthe17thcentury.(Imagesource:Verdi Delizie, Campitelli)


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changedlittleforboththeresidents and use ofmodern dayPinetaSac-chetti.

The Pineta Sacchettiseentodaydidnotbeginto take shape until therise of fascism in Italy.Tocombatthemassdis-placementoflow-incomefamiliesfromthecitycen-terinthe1930s,plannedneighborhoods of publichousing (borgate) werequicklyerectedonthepe-riphery.Frequently,theseformallyplannedborgatewere accompanied by

lessformal,self-builtresidentialcommunities.Theconstructionofonesuchborgata(Primavalle)neartothePinetoRegionalParksuggestssomeofthefirstpotentialself-builtresidencesinPinetaSacchetti.

Itwasnotuntilafterthewar,however,thatmodernPinetaSac-chettitrulydeveloped.Thefewhomesthatdidexistweresporadicallylocatedthroughouttheneighborhood,withruraldirtroadsoccasionallyconnectingtheneighborhood.Aplanfrom1934(Map2)indicateswelljusthowruraltheareawas.Additionally,theareaswithmoredifficulttopographytothewestofPinetaSacchettiareseeminglycompletelyundeveloped,a further indicationofhow readilyavailable landwasandhowdisconnectedthisvillagewasfromthecitycenterofRome.

AftertheconclusionofWorldWarII,themodernPinetaSac-chetti rapidlybegantotakeform.Inthiscriticalperiod(1945-1970),thecontinuedemergenceofself-builturbanfabricbegantodominatethebuiltenvironment.Thisfirstwaveof“urban”residentswasdeeply

invested inconstructingboth thesocialandphysicalstructures thatstillmakeupmuchofmoderndayPinetaSacchetti.Thiscommitmenttowardbuildingcommunity,pairedwithaconcentrationofindividualswithprofessionalexperienceinthebuildingtrade,ledtotheconstruc-tionofcommunity-builthomesofnear-professionaldevelopergradearchitecturalsophisticationandconstructionquality.

Thelegacyofthesehomescanstillbeseentoday,andmanyarestilloccupiedbydescendantsoftheiroriginaloccupants.Manyoftoday’ssingle familyandmulti-family residencesarerenovatedandretrofittediterationsoftheoriginalpost-warstructures.TheresidentsofPinetaSacchettinotonlyshapedtheformofprivateresidences,butalsocontributedtothedevelopmentofpublicspaceinthearea.Therehave been several critical moments in history where the residentshavecreatednewservicesandinstitutions,inadditiontocollectivelyfighting for existing services. This survival speaks to the residents’commitmenttotheircommunity.Map2:1934MapofPrimavalle,Carta

Marnio-Gigli(fromPrimavalleInRete)

Figure3:AlifelongresidentofPinetaSacchettiinfrontofthehomethatherforebearersbuilt.Itisoneoftheoldestremainingvillini.



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Statistical AnalysisMETHODOLOGIES

Asabasisforourstatisticalanalysisoftheneighborhood,weutilized two key repositories of data: ISTAT’s 2001 and 2011 cen-suses.Incorporatingthe25censustractsfoundwithinourneighbor-hoodboundaries,wecompareddatabetweenthetwosourcestofindchangingshiftsindemographics,educationlevel,employmentstatus,andotherrelevantcategories.Additionally,weusedthisdata,along-sideExcelmodelingsoftware,togeneratepopulationpyramidswithin5yearincrementsofbothgenders,normalizingthemasapercentoftotalpopulationtoaccuratelycompare2001to2011.

Inordertounderstandtheusesandcharactersisticsofstruc-tures in Pineta Sacchetti, we designed a building census that wasconductedoneachstructurewithinourneighborhoodboundaries.

Buildinglotswerenumberedandthendividedamongstteammembers.Eachbuildingwasassessedaccordingtoaseriesofcrite-ria.Theseincludednumberofstories,projectedbuildingheight,exte-riorfacadematerials,constructiontype(distinguishingbetweenself-builtanddeveloperconstructed),stateofbuildingrepair,andbuildinguse.Duringthisbuildingcensus,aserviceinventoryoftheneighbor-hoodwasalsotaken.

Thedataobtainedfromthebuildingcensuswasusedbothforstatisticalanalysisoftheneighborhoodaswellasmapping.Thecen-sus process also allowed us to create ground-truthmaps obtainedfromexternalsources,andcomparecurrentconditionsagainstISTATdata.

Use and Typology Study Figure4,above:MeetingwithartistcollectivePinacciNostri.Figure5,below:Surveyingwhilecompilingabuildingtypology.

Photo:GrayBrakke

Photo:PinacciNostri


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Children’s Voices: Photovoice Ourphotovoiceresearch is inspiredbyDr.YucelCanSever-can’sparticipatoryphotographyworkinAnkara,TurkeyandtheBod-rumPeninsulaandourmethodologyisresultinglysimilartohis.AfterinitiallycontactingtheCasadelParcolibrary,astheyprovidevariousservicesforchildren,ourteamwasreferredtotheScuolaMediaSistoIV,whereadministrationandstaffwerereadilywillingtohelpusinourresearch.

Twenty disposable cameras,with 27 photos each,were dis-tributedtochildrenatScuolaMediaSistoIVbyaninstructor.Twentystudentsacrosstwoclasses,whoalllivewithinPinetaSacchetti,wereasked to participate. Students ranged from age 11 to age 13.Thecameraswere accompanied by aworksheet that provided childrenwithstructured requirements for thefirst tenphotoson thefilmroll,whichareusedinouranalysis.Theworksheet,whichwasmatchedtoeachcamera,providedfurtherpromptsforchildrentoidentifythelocationsandsubjectmatteroftheirphotographs.

Providingstructuredphotopromptstoparticipantsgivesmoreguidancetothestudentsandproducesanoutcomethatiseasiertoanalyzeandcompare.Thesephotopromptsdrawdirectly from theparticipatory photography exercises ofDr.YucelCanSevercan, aswellasinternationalframeworksforchildfriendlycities.

Weaccompanied the returnof thephotographswithawork-shopwiththestudents,withconversationstofurtherelicitperceptionsofplaceattachmentintheneighborhood.Thisexercise,accompaniedwith theworkshop,attempts tobetter illuminate children’s territorialranges,perceptionsofhistoricalandculturalsitesofsignificance,andwherethechildrenfeelsafe.

Figures7and8:StudentsfromtwoclassesinScuolaMediaSistoIVparticipatinginafeedbackworkshop.


Photovoice: Example Responses

Figure9,above:Thesephotos,takenbystudentparticipants,rep-resentcommonsubjects:theschool,piazza,park,sportsfields,andpublicart.Figure10:AstudenttakesaphotoofSt.Peter’sBasilicafromPinetoRegionalPark.Figure11:Asample(completed)worksheet.

Figure10

Figure11

Photo:GiorgioGibertiniJolly

9119


Questionnaires Asimilarworksheet to thatwhichaccompanied thecamerasaspart of ourphotovoiceexercisewasutilized toelicit elders’ per-ceptionsoftheirneighborhood.CreatedspecificallyforthemembersofthelocalCentroAnziani(SeniorCenter),wecollected12respons-esfollowingaFridayafternoondanceprogram.Utilizingbothonsitetranslationandretroactivetranslation,theseresponseswereusedtofurtherqualitativelyinformourengagementwiththeelderly.

Community Interviews Throughoutourtimeintheneighborhoodweconductedmanyinterviews.Theinterviewswereofteninformalorunplanned.Fortheplannedinterviewswepreparedasetofquestionsthatwewantedtoaskthecitizens.Thequestionshelpedustogainknowledgeonhowthecitizenssawtheneighborhoodandwhattheybelievedneededtochange.Wehadthehelpofateachingaidtotranslatetheseques-tions, and conversewith different citizens.Two of these interviewsincludedcitizensdrawingLynchmaps.Lynchmapsinvolvehavingthecitizendrawtheirneighborhoodfrommemory.Thiswasveryusefulforourstudybecausethecitizenswoulddrawareasthattheyfindmostimportant.ThecreationanduseofthesemapswasinspiredbyKevinLynchfromhisbookThe Image of the City.TheseinterviewsgaveusalotofhistoricalbackgroundonPinetaSacchettiandinformationonthepositiveandnegativeaspectsoftheneighborhoodfromtheeyesofthecitizens.


Photo:EnnioDeRisioPhoto:AmeliaVisnauskas

Figure12,above:MeetingwiththepresidentofthePine-taSacchettiCentroAnziani.

Figure13,right:Explainingourresearchandrequestingparticipa-tionatanopendanceeventatCentroAnziani.

Figure14:Interviewingalongtimeresident.CasadelParcoLibraryandPinetoRegionalParkappearinthebackground.

10121110


PINETASACCHETTI TODAY

Photo:GrayBrakke1111


ResidentsSTATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Our focus area of Pineta Sacchetti has a population of7,783 people. In 2001, the population was 8,120, reflecting a de-crease of 4.2 percent. Women are a majority of the population:men comprise 44.6 percent of the population, while women com-prise 55.4 percent.At 10.3 percent, the proportion of Pineta Sac-chetti’s population under age 15 is lower than Rome as a whole(at 13 percent). Meanwhile, the proportion of population over age65, at 26.4 percent, is higher than Rome as a whole (at 22 per-cent). PinetaSacchetti is thus a particularly graying neighborhood.

Furthermore, as demonstrated by our population pyramids,thereexistsasignificantcohortofbabyboomerswhowillsoonbe-come senior citizens. Another interesting note from these pyra-mids is that,with a 2011 population of 770, or 9.9 percent of totalpopulation, a plurality of Pineta Sacchetti inhabitants are womenover the age of 74. In 2001, thiswas also the case, suggesting along-term neighborhood demographic orientation toward elder-ly women. This demographic orientation thus highlights the im-portance of catering to their needs in urban design and policy.

The average household size, as of 2011, is 2.1, down from2.3in2001andnotablylessthanthatofRomeasawhole(at2.4).Apluralityofhouseholds,41.8percent,haveonlyone resident.Pi-neta Sacchetti’s families are thus quite small, and a remarkablenumberofpeoplelivealone.Takentogetherwiththepreviousinfor-mation, it canbesaid that theprototypicalPinetaSacchetti inhabi-tant isawomanoverage74 livingalone.Furthercomplicating thispicture is Pineta Sacchetti’s age-dependency ratio of 59 percent.

An examination of Pineta Sacchetti’s workforce, meanwhile,alsorevealsinterestingtrends.Since2001,PinetaSacchetti’swork-

7,783 residentsdown 4.2% from 2001

54%female

% UNDER 15Pineta Sacchetti 10%

Rome 13%

% OVER 6526%

Rome 22%

Pineta Sacchetti

9.9% of residents are women over the

age of 74.

2.1PEOPLEaverage

household size

41.8%

59%(2.4 across Rome) age-dependency

ratio

one personhouseholds

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forceparticipationratehasincreasedfrom41.6percentto44.6percent.Inrealterms,thesizeofthelaborforcerosefrom3,375to3,471,increasingatarateof2.8percent.Atthesametime,unemploymentdecreasedfrom7.2percentto6.4percent,onparwithRomeasawhole.Thissuggeststhatevenasitgrays,theneighborhoodisretainingitsworkforce,anditisevengrowing.

Thecensusof2001providesthemostrecentstatisticsforlaborsector.InPinetaSacchetti,0.9percentofthelaborforceworkedinagriculture;0.9percentworkedinenergy;8.2percentworkedinmanufacturing;4.3percentworkedinconstruction;16.5percentworkedinstores,hotels,andrestaurants;9.0percentworkedintransportandcommunication;4.5percentworkedinbrokerage;8.9percentworkedinrealestate;11.5percentworkedinpublicadministration;7.0percentworkedineducation;9.3percentworkedinso-cialservices;and8.6percentworkedindomesticservices.Thepreponder-anceofserviceandpublicworkreflectsatypicalmiddle-classneighborhood.

Alongside labor data, education rates can be used as proxies toassess class.As of 2011, 33.4 percent of residents completed second-ary education, roughly the sameasRomeas awhole.This figure alsorepresentsan increase from2001,when itwas31.1percent.Moredra-matically, tertiary education levels have also increased, from 10.7 per-centin2001to16.2percentin2011.Thesestatisticspointtosomepos-sible gentrifying forces that have been identified in intercept interviews.

Another prevalent force in the neighborhood is that of immi-grants.Many immigrants have beenmoving intoPinetaSacchetti to fillin thedemographicspace leftbehindbydecreasing fertility rates.From2001 to2011, theshareof immigrants inpopulation increased from5.1percent to 11.1 percent. Of these immigrants, 45.6 percent came fromAsia;30.4percentcamefromEurope;16.2percentcamefromtheAmer-icas; and 7.8 percent came fromAfrica. The primary immigrant groupsas identified in interviews are Bangladeshi, Filipino, and Romanian.

44.6% increase from 41.6% in 2001

WORKFORCEPARTICIPATION

6.4%UNEMPLOYMENT

“The preponderance of service and public

work reflects a typical middle-class

neighborhood.”

RESIDENTS WITHA SECONDARY

EDUCATION3,471LABOR FORCE

33%

(31.1% in 2001)

5.1 11.1% OF IMMIGRANTSin 2001 in 2011

74.6%HOMEOWNERSHIP

52.6%OF RESIDENCES BUILT 1945-1960

4+STORIESin 63% of residential buildings

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Housing OurfocusareainPinetaSacchettihas3,737households,theaveragesizeofwhichis2.1peopleand77.8squaremeters.Accord-ingtoalocalrealestateagent,thetypicaldwellinginPinetaSacchettihas2bedroomsandalivingroomandsellsfor€170,000to€300,000.Realestateprices,itshouldbenoted,havebeengoingdownrecentlymuchastheyhaveacrossallofItaly.Ofthesehouseholds,74.6per-centareowned,17.4percentarerented,and7.9percentareother-wiseoccupied.

Thephysicalcharacteristicsofthebuildingsalsowarrantsta-tisticalexamination.During the initialphasesofgrowthnearPrima-valle,or1919to1945,12.3percentofPinetaSacchetti’sresidentialbuildingswereconstructed.Nonewerebuiltbefore1919.From1945to1960,PinetaSacchetti’sbuildingboom,52.6percentofresidentialbuildingswereconstructed.From1961 to1970,30.7percentwerebuilt.Onlyaremaininghandfulofresidentialbuildingshavebeencon-structedsince1970.Itshouldalsobenotedthatthetypicalresidentialbuildingismorethanfourfloors(withapluralityof63.3percent)andhas9-15apartments(withapluralityof35.9percent).

Figure16:Typical3-5storyresidentialbuildingsintheresidentialcore.

Figure17:Larger,newer,mixed-usebuildingsalongViaBoccea.Figure15:Avillinocharacteristicofpre-1950sconstructioninPinetaSacchetti.

Photo:GrayBrakke

Photo:GrayBrakke


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LAND USE AND BUILDINGS

Beingselfbuiltanddeveloped,PinetaSacchetti’slanduseishomogeneouslyresiden-tial.Theareaofstudyconsistsof0.55squarekilometers,containing525lotswithover95percentoftheneighborhoodmadeupofresidentialormixed-usehousing.Commercialandinstitutionalusesaregenerallyrelegatedtotheperipheryrepresentedbypinkandorange,with themajorityadded to thesoutheast,mid-west regionsalongside the retrofittedmetrostops.Thismakesaveryvisibleresidentialcorerepresentedinbothdarkandlightbluewith-in theboundaries. In termsofchildandagefriendliness, thesemixedusefacilitiesconsistof hairdressers,undergroundgrocery stores,pharmacists, and fewcafesand restaurants,meaningmostoftheamenitiesnecessarytodailylifearewellwithinwalkingrangeofcitizens.

Map3:BuildingUse

Despitealackofaformalplanning,PinetaSacchettihas75percentofitslotsdeemedwellmaintainedbythe2011census.Ourownmethodsandanalysisconfirmedthisfigureandmappedourobservations.Ourverywellmaintainedareaaccounts for roughly60percentof the lotswithin theneighborhood (represented ingreen).Thesewellmaintained lotsareprimarilyconcentratedintheeasternhalfoftheneighborhood,mostnotablyaroundCorneliaandalongViadiPinetaSacchetti. Withover83percentofstructurespredatingthe1970s,specialcarehasbeentakentocontinuouslymaintainthesestructuresbytheresidentsthemselves.However,renovationandbettermaintenanceareneededintheareascoloredyellowandespeciallythoseinredinorderforthismiddleclasscommunitytoageinplaceandbewelcomingtonewfamiliesandgenerations.Whenconductingourbuildingtypologystudy,wecategorizedeachstructureintheneighborhoodbasedonmaintenance.Buildingswereassignedascorebetweenoneandthree,threebeingthebest,basedontheirstateofrepair.

Building Use

Maintenance3

2

1

15Map4:Maintenance


Public Space

N

Map5:PublicSpaces

Asaselfbuiltanddevelopedneighborhood,publicgreenspacewasnotgivenprioritywithinthedenseresidentialcore.OtherthanthelargePinetoRegionalparkshowningreeninthefarrightoutsideofourresearcharea,theonlytruepublicspaceopencontinuallywithinourboundariesisthesmallPiazzaPioIXshowninyellow.Itisasmallconcretepiazzaattheheartofasevenroadintersectionthatisregularlyoccupiedbyallages.

Theinstitutionsinthisneighborhoodmakeupforthelackofinternalspacebyhavingbothlateclosingtimesandregularactivitiessuchasconcertsandpartiesopen toall residents.The implicationsof this lackof internalpublicspacewouldbe the inaccessibilityof institutionsor green space to people living on the farwest or south of the boundaries as the park or piazzawould require a lot of travelwhich is notchildoragefriendly.Butwithtransportationhubsontheperipheryandorganicblocks,PinetaSacchettihasminimaltrafficflowthatmitigatesthis inaccessibility bymaking the sidewalks and streets safe and easy towalk on to access these peripheral public or semi-public spaces.

Figures18and19:PiazzaPioIX

Photos:GrayBrakke

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Building Height With a rate of 74.6 percent homeownership and 26.4percent of the population over 65, building height is usual-ly an impediment to aging in place. 63.3 percent of homesinPinetaSacchettihavemore than4floors,yet liftsarenotcommonplace or rarely even present according to our re-search. The implications of this structure height is the inac-cessibilitythiswouldsuggestfortheelderlyandhandicapped.

However,wehaveyet tohearacomplaint,and thereis a clear intergenerational continuity here. Very pointed-ly, an interviewee at the Centro Anziani told us that “noone complains here,” and when asking whether structuralchanges were necessary to accommodate the aging pop-ulation, we were told that he “wouldn’t change a thing.”

Service Provision Though Pineta Sacchetti is generally a self-sufficientneighborhoodintermsofretailandserviceprovision,itsmake-upisquitedifferentthanotherpartsofRome,andafarcryfromnewurbaniststandardsofwalkable,mixed-useneighborhoods,which are standard recommendations for children and agingpopulations.

AswithmanyservicesinPinetaSacchetti,shops,restau-rants,pharmacies,etc.all tend tobe locatedaround theringof theneighborhood, incloseproximity to themetroandbusstops. There are some neighborhood bars and shops withintheresidentialcore,buttheyarenotaswiderangingandlargescaleas thecommercialdistricts thatsurround theneighbor-hood’sresidentialcore. Map6:BuildingHeight

1 story

2 stories

3 stories

4 stories

5+ stories


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Social Nodes While PinetaSacchetti does not provideforitseldersinthewaythatacademicsdescribeasanidealphysicalenvironmentforchildrenandelders.Therearevariouselementstothesocialandcommunityframeworksoftheneighborhoodthatreplaceorsupersedeitsphysicaldrawbacks.

Thefourmainsocialhubsoftheneighbor-hoodaretheScuolaPrimariaAndreaBaldi, theCentroAnziani,PiazzaPioIXandtheCasaDelParcoLibrarywithinthePinetoRegionalPark.

Notonlydo theseplacesserveasgath-eringplacestoday,buttheyhavehadimportanthistoric functions insolidifyingorcontributingtotheevolutionoftheidentityoftheneighborhood.For example, the residents of Pineta Sacchettiandsurroundingcommunitiesformedacoalitiontostopprivatedevelopmentonthesiteofthefor-merSacchettiVilla,andinsteadhaditdesignat-edasaLazioregionalpark.Similarly,residentsralliedtorenametheirpiazzaPioIX,fromPrima-valle,anamethathadbegottenastigmathankstothenearbyborgata.

Bothofthesemomentsservedascrucialpointsinsolidifyingbothastrongsenseofcom-munity(thatcanevolvewiththemodernage)andanimportantexcerciseinplacemaking.

Map7:SocialNodes


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Street Hierarchy Generally,trafficinPinetaSacchettiisveryslow.Theneighborhoodisencircledbythreemajorarterialroutes,whichprovideresidentswithfantasticconnectivitytootherpartsofRomeandLazioandprovidespaceandinfra-structurefortheneighborhoodtosupporttwoMetrostops.Theinnerstreetsoftheneighborhoodarenarrowerandpromoteslowerflow.

Map8:StreetHierarchy

Figure20:ViaBoccea,anexampleofaprimarystreet.

Figure21:ViaCalistoII,anexampleofasecondarystreet.

Figure22:ViaCardinaleCaprara,anexampleofatertiarystreet

STREETS AND MOBILITY


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PRIMARY STREETS Threemainarterialstreets,ViadellaPinetaSacchetti,ViaBoccea,andViaMattiaBattistinisurroundourstudyarea,andcon-nectPinetaSacchettitootherneighborhoodsinRome.TheselargestreetslookmuchlikeothercentralRomanroads:theyarewidewith2tofourlanes,andhavetypicalmodernamenities,includingstreetlighting,on-streetparking,busroutes,metrostations,andamixofshops,services,andresidences.

Thesestreetsarerelativelywellmain-tained,especiallywhencomparedtoroadsinsidethestudyarea.Challengestopedestri-ansariselargelyfromautomobiletraffic.Hightrafficvolumesandspeedingcarscanmakeforunsafecrossingsoranoisypedestrianex-perience.Sidewalksarealsorelativelynarrow,anddonotprovideplantingsorotherbufferstovehiculartraffic.Thoughparkingonthesestreetsisbetterregulated,illegalparkingisstillcommon.

ThesearterialstreetsthatencompasstheneighborhoodmakePinetaSacchettiattractiveasawellconnectedneighborhood.TheseroadsconnecttoCorneliaandBattisti-nimetrostops(whichconnecttoLineA),theGrandeRaccordoAnulare(GRA)highway,VaticanCity,andtheCentroStorico.

Figure23:Crosssection(ViaBoccea)

Automobiles are prioritized,and may present threats to

pedestrians


SECONDARY STREETS

Figure24:Crosssection(viaPioIX)

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On entering the neighborhood, streets be-come winding and irregular. Streets often do notconnect with others nearby, and the few griddedstreetsareconfinedtothenewer,southeasterncor-nerofthestudyarea.

Some interior streets seemore traffic, andaccommodatehighervolumesoftrafficthanothers.Wehaveclassifiedtheseassecondarystreets.ViaPioIX,forexample,connectsPiazzaPioIXtotheareaneartheUrbanoIImarketandisusedheavily.

Thoughpedestriansusethesestreetsreadi-ly,therearestillsignificantthreatstosafety,acces-sibility and pedestrian experience. Sidewalks arenarrowandpoorlymaintained,iftheyevenexistatall.Many sidewalks are blocked by garbage con-tainersorillegallyparkedcarsandscooters.Thereisagainnobufferbetweenpedestriansandtraffic,andmany pedestrians choose to share the streetwithautomobiles.

Since public space does not exist in theneighborhoodbeyondthepiazzaandpark,privateshops,andrestaurantsservepedestrianswhoneedto stop and rest. Bar, shop and restaurant patiosserve as social spaces, as well as places of restandrefugeforpedestrianswithmobilitychallenges.

Illegal parking and poor sidewalks often force pedestriansto walk in the street.


TERTIARY STREETS

22Figure25:Crosssection(ViadeiSampietrini)

Thesestreetsareextremelynarrow,andac-commodatemoreuses thantheyaredesignedto.Tertiary streets in Pineta Sacchetti accommodatepedestrians, automobiles, scooters, and garbagecontainers,inthespaceofwhatotherwisemightbeaonewayroad.

Manyofthesestreetsdonothavesidewalks,againforcingpedestrianstowalkinthestreet.Thisisespeciallyriskyfortheelderly,children,andpar-ents with strollers. Blockages to pedestrians alsocome frompoorlyplacedandmaintainedgarbagecontainers.Topographyalsoplaysanimportantrolehere and can further hinder accessibility. PinetaSacchettiishilly,andthelocationoftransitandser-vicesaroundtheoutsideoftheneighborhoodoftennecessitateslongertraveldistancesforpedestrians.

Despite these limitations and safety con-cerns, these streets arewell used by pedestriansandautomobilesalike.

Due to blocked sidewalks and oftentimes illegal parking, pedestrians share the same lane with automobile traffic.


Sidewalk Assesment

Map9:SidewalkAssessment

AnimportantfeatureinPinetaSacchetti isthelackofconsistentsidewalks. Not only are the sidewalks poorlymaintained, but inmanyplacestheysimplydonotexist.Thisisinlargepartduetotheself-built,self-developed,andunplannednatureoftheneighborhood.

Thelackofsidewalkscanmakethestreetsdangerousforchildrenandelders.However,inPinetaSacchetti,thishasnotbeenseentolimitthemotionofcitizens,especiallyintheseagebrackets.Thelowflowofthetrafficandthestrongcommunityandthe“eyesonthestreet”contrib-utetothat.

Figure26:Pedestriansusingtheroadintheabsenceofsidewalks

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Photo:GrayBrakke


Map10:BusstopslocatedaroundPinetaSacchetti,alongarterialroads.

Theneighborhood’shighlevelofconnectivitytovariousATACtransitservicesmakeitincreasinglymoredesirableforresidentsseekingaccesstothegreatermetropolis.

Thiswasnotalwaysthecasehowever.Themetrostationsandbusstopsthatsurroundtheresidentialcoreoftheneighborhoodhavebeentheresincethelargeboomofcon-structionthatgavetheneighborhooditscharacter.

Figure27:AbusshelteralongViaBoccea

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Photo:GrayBrakke


INSTITUTIONS Bringingthecommunitytogetherandprovidingcriticalservicesforchildrenandtheelderly,publicinstitutionsanchorPinetaSacchet-ti’s identity.Among these institutions are the public school, library,PinacciNostri, andCentroAnziani—each offering unique program-mingandpossibilitiesfortheneighborhoodandourresearch.

Asthelocalseniorcenter,theCentroAnzianiprovidescriticalservicesfortheelderlyofPinetaSacchetti,actingasameetingpointand recreational center.As far as our research goes, the center isanexceptionallyimportantsiteforengagingtheeldercommunity.Assuch,weconductedasurveyofattendeesaswellasinterviewswithseniororganizationmembers.Thecenteropenseverydayfrom15:30to19:30,buttherearesomemorningactivities.Scheduledprogram-ming includesdance,yoga,gymnastics,andday trips. Itonlycosts€2peryeartobecomeamember.Themunicipiopaysthebills,butthecenter collectsmoney throughorganizingactivities.480peopleareregistered,butfewerthanthatcomeregularly—thereareusually30-40peopleplayingcardseachafternoon.Almosteveryonewalksthere,sosidewalkaccessibilitymustbeimportantinorderforseniorstoaccessthecenterandotherservices.Relatedtointergeneration-ality,thecenterregularlyhostsagrandparents’party.Thoughlocatednexttotheschool,thecenterconductslittleprogrammingwithit.

The local school, Scuola PrimariaAndrea Baldi and ScuolaMediaSisto IV,similarlyprovidescrucialservicesbutdoesso foramuchbroaderaudience.Opened in1936andconstructedwith fas-cistimageryonitswalls,theschoolbecameamilitaryhospitalduringWorldWar II.Oncethewarended, thecommunityworkedtogethertoreconvertitintoaschool.Today,theschoolisknownforitsmusicprogram,whichbringsincommunitymembersforregularconcertsbythestudents.Amazingly, it staysopenuntilmidnight for communityuse.Oneofitshallmarkcommunityeventsisthe“meetnic,”whichisaportmanteauofmeeting,ethnic,andpicnic.Thesemeetnicsbring

togetherstudentsandcommunitymembersofdifferentethnicback-groundsforculturalexchange.Anothercommunityinitiativeundertak-enbytheschoolwasarecentefforttoreplanttreesinPinetoRegionalParkthathadbeendestroyedinanarsonincident.Giventhesecom-munityoutreachactivities,theschoolservedasanimportantnodeinourresearch:wecollaboratedwithoneofitsteacherstoconductourphotovoiceexercise.

LocatedinPinetoRegionalPark,thelocallibrary,meanwhile,wasacrucialresearchnodeinunderstandingthehistoryofthecom-munity.One of our initial points of contact in Pineta Sacchetti, thelibraryanditsstaffprovidedconsistentaccesstoinformationandas-sistance.Thelibrarywasopenedin2006inanabandonedbuildingintheparkandfeaturesprogrammingforallages.Inparticular,childrenages3to6havetheirownroomatthelibrary,andthereismorechil-dren’sprogrammingeverySaturdayafternoon.Staffalsotoldusthatthereareavarietyofimmigrantswhocomewiththeirchildrentoread

Figure28:AgardencreatedinmarginalspaceattheCentroAnziani.Photo:AmeliaVisnauskas

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inItalian.Inaddition,everyThursdaytheyhavemoviesforelders.Thelibraryisparticularlyimportantsinceitisameetingpointforchildrenofallages—fromzerotouniversityage—aswellaselders.

Afinalinstitutionthatconnectstheneighborhoodandassistedinour research isPinacciNostri,astreetartorganization.Thecol-lective,whosename roughly translates to “our badpines,” aims toconnecttheneighborhoodwithitshistory.TheywerestartedfromamovementcalledMuracciNostri,whichisastreetartgroupinnearbyPrimavalle.Theirprimarygoalsaretousemuralstocreateastrongsenseofidentityintheneighborhoodandtopreventdegradation.OneoftheirlargestmuralsinPinetaSacchettiwascreatedwiththepartic-ipationofthecommunityandoutlinestheentirehistoryoftheneigh-borhood.

Interestingly,mostof theartistscome fromoutsideofPinetaSacchetti,suggestingthattheorganizationisnotasgrassrootsasonemightexpect.Nonetheless,itfulfillsacrucialroleinplacemakingandgivingPinetaSacchetti a concrete identity. Furthermore, itsmurals

arewidelylovedbyPinetaSacchetti’sinhabitantsandwereoneofthemostcommonlyphotographedsubjectsinourphotovoiceexercise.

Collaboratingwith these institutions—theCentroAnziani, theschool, the library,andPinacciNostri—hasendoweduswith indis-pensableinsightsintoPinetaSacchetti.Furthermore,theyreflectthestrong institutionalcharacter thatupholds theneighborhood’ssocialstructure.ItisthisstructurethatisresponsibleforPinetaSacchetti’schildandagefriendlinessinspiteofitsdesignflaws.

Figure29:Historicrecordsinthepublicschoolbuilding.

Figure30:AnartandpoetryInstallationneartheVaccheria,anaban-donedcowshedneartheLibrary.

Photo:GrayBrakke

Photo:GrayBrakke

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23911

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

27 Photo:VivianaAndriola


Photo:VivianaAndriola 28

Tu sei qui: Identity and Accessibility in a Self-Built NeighborhoodPHOTO ESSAY

Throughanoriginal photoessay,weseek to visuallyexplorePinetaSacchetti’sidentityandaccessibilityacrossgenerations.Thereisasubstantial literatureonvisualanthropology,whoseprimaryaimistoqualitativelycatalogbodilyexpressions,spaceinhumanbehav-ior,andthechoreographyofculture.(Collier2003)Ourresearchpri-marilyhingesonthesecondofthese,asweinvestigatethenatureofspaceandneighborhood identity.Alongside intergenerational place-makingandplaceattachment,neighborhoodidentityformsthecruxofourvisual,qualitativeresearch.Whenconductingacommunitystudy,“photographs showing spatial relationships and the visual characterofhomesoffersociometricunderstandings,qualificationsofaffluenceandpoverty,olderareasandnewdevelopment,andoftensocialsub-divisionswithinacommunity.”(Collier2003)Inourcase,weseektoassessneighborhoodidentityformationinpublicspaces.Withthisme-dium,wecandepictPinetaSacchetti’sintangiblesasexperiencedbyitsinhabitants.

Photographyalsohasthepowertomakeresearchaccessibletolaypeopleacrossgenerationsandbackgrounds:“Whetheritbeeth-nographicfilmorafileofstillphotographsofacommunity,thevalueofthecamerarecordisitsliteracywhichallowsdiversepeopletoextractasignificantlevelofinformationfromphotographorfilm.” (Collier2003)Whenconductingcommunitystudies,photography thuscanprovideacritical linktothecommunity.Wefurtherintegratedcommunityen-gagement into this format throughourchildren’sphotovoiceproject.Afterrecievingdisposablecamerasbackfromthephotovoiceproject,directlycomparedthosephotostoourinitialimpressionsoftheneigh-borhood, in turnallowingus to reflectuponbothourpositionalityasresearchersand the researchquestions themselves.Essentially,weanalyzedourowninitialassessmentsagainsttheviewsofPinetaSac-chetti’schildren.

What follows is our photo essay, which touches upon thethemes that we have identified in Pineta Sacchetti. It allows theviewertomovethroughtheneighborhoodandreflectuponitasadiscreteplacewithaunique, intergenerational identity.Thisvisualexplorationcomplementsthesocial-institutionalframeworkwehavebeen developing elsewhere by adding the dimensions of identityandplacemaking.

Allphotos:GrayBrakke


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Tu Sei Qui: Identity and Accessibility In A Self-Built Neighborhood

Looking down a lane off of one of PinetaSacchetti’s main ar-teries provides a view of the neighborhood’s diverse mosaic ofapartment blocks.

Shops and services, like this hardware store, are frequently shoehorned into the lower levels of

apartment blocks, given a lack of central

planning during the neighborhood’s

construction.


2

With a history rooted in self-construction, numerous hardware and building supplies

stores provide links to both the neighborhood’s past and its present.

Planted by the current homeowner’s grandfather, this lemon tree similarly connects the PinetaSacchetti of the present to its builders.


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Services in Pineta Sacchetti have been provided by many actors,public and private—the latter exemplified by this para-pharmacy pay-

ing homage to a former pope.

With much of the Pineta Sacchetti’s population aging in place, access to shops and services like this grocery store, built in an apartment block basement, is critical.


2

The Catholic Church makes its presence felt throughout the neighborhood through institutional outposts like this convent of Franciscan sisters.

An image of Jesus looming above its center, Piazza Pio IX serves as the primary public space for the northern reaches of Pineta Sacchetti.



Street art, sanctioned and unsanctioned, is a constant of Pineta Sacchetti’s aesthetic character, here imploring the

viewer to remember, “You are here.”

St. Peter’s Basilica towering in the distance, the Parco della PinetaSacchetti not only provides residents with invaluable green space but gives the neighborhood its name.


What Came Next: Participatory Photography This photo essay assesses the infrastructure and physicalcondition of Pineta Sacchetti in a qualitative way. Sidewalk quality,maintenance, street patterns, topography, etc., informed our initialimpression that Pineta Sacchetti was not a neighborhoodwell suit-edforchildrenandtheelderly.Theneighborhoodischaracterizedbywinding,unplannedstreetswithsparsesidewalksandalmostnopublicopenspace.Serviceshavebeenretrofittedaroundtheperimeteroftheneighborhood,soveryfewshopsandnopublictransitpermeatethedenseresidentialcore.Ourphotoessayand initialbuilding typologyandserviceinventoryworkconfirmedtheseresults.

Our initial interviews with residents, however, contradictedtheseassumptionsandsuggestedthattheneighborhood’schildandage friendliness may come from strong social structures. Some ofthesethemeshadbeguntoemergeinthephotoessayaswell,butitwasnecessarytoexplorethemmoredeeply.Tobetterunderstandthissocial layer,we employed interviews and participatory photography.Photovoiceisgenerallyusedtounderstandthechallengesandassetsthatcommunitymembersperceive in theirneighborhoodand toen-gagethemindialogueabouttheseissues.

Most importantly, photovoice captures a social element of acommunitythatisignoredbytraditionalresearchmethods.Wefoundthistobeanappropriatetooltousetoassesaneighborhoodthatdidnotseemtobewellservedbytraditionalplanningmethods.

Thefollowingsectiondetailstheresultsofourvariousengagedresearchmethods,which generally contrastwith our initial findings.Thesemethodsallowedustoaccessalayeroftheneighborhoodthatwasnotvisibletousasoutsideresearchersandhelpedtodismantlesomeofourbiasesandfillingapsinourunderstandingoftheneigh-borhood.

Figure31:TeammembersposingwiththefamouspinestandinPinetoRegionalPark


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FINDINGSA Child’s Voice:Participatory Photography

An Elder’s Memory:Interviews and Questionnaires

Thesociallayeroftheneighborhoodthatweuncoveredthroughpho-tovoicelargelyconsistsofseveralnodesofactivity.Amongthese:• ThePinetoregionalpark• ScuolaPrimariaAndreaBaldi• SanLinochurch• PiazzaPioIX• AseriesofmuralsTogethertheseplacescomprisethepointsofchild-friendlinessinthesocialfabricthatsupersedecomplaintsaboutmaintenanceandacces-sibilityinthephysicalfabric.

InterviewsandquestionnaireswitheldersfurtherrevealedthesociallayerofPinetaSacchetti.Positivecommunityfeaturesfortheelderlyincluded:• Thecommunity• CentroAnziani• Supermarkets• SanLinochurchOverall,eldersfeltthatPinetaSacchettiwasage-friendlyforthesereasonsdespitecomplaintssurroundingsafety,walkability,andalackofgoodpublicspace.

Piazza Pio IX

Primaryand Middle

Schools

Casa del Parco Library

PinetoUrban Regional Park

Murals

Auditorium(site of fire)

San LinoParish

Worksheetresponsesdescribingalocationaspositive

Worksheetresponsesdescribingalocationasnegative

Map11:Photovoicestudyresponses

San LinoParish

Piazza Pio IX

CentroAnziani

Casa del Parco Library

PinetoUrban Regional Park

Auditorium(site of fire)

Via Urbano IIMarket

Via Boccea

Map12:ElderlyQuestionnaireresponses


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Map11:Photovoicestudyresponses Seeing Invisible Assets Theliteraturesuggeststhatchildandagefriendlycitiesareplaceswheretransit,housing,work,andplayarealllocatedwithincloseproximityandwithphysicalaccessibility.PinetaSacchettidoesnotfitthesephysicalstandards.Ourinstitutionalengagementwithphotovoicepresentedalternativevisions.ThepeopleofPinetaSac-chettirevealassetsinvisibletoplanners:

• SlowFlowreducesconflict• StrongLocalControlcreatesrobustsenseofplace• DeeplyRootedInstitutionsreinforceneighborhoodnorms

TheseassetsallowPinetaSacchettitobeachildandage-friendlyneighborhoodoverall, despiteaphysicalcharacterthatposessignifi-cantchallengestochildrenandtheelderly.

Figure33:HotelGiotto,adistinctivearchitecturallandmarkintheneighborhood,wascapturedfrequentlyinPhotovoicepictures.

Figure32:Sanctionedgraffitiatthepublicschoolisattractivetochil-dren,andaimstoserveaculturallyunifyingfunction.


The Importance of the Social Layer One critical invisible asset of Pineta Sacchetti’s child andage-friendly social layer was shared history among its inhabitants.SuchhistoryendowsPinetaSacchettiwithasupportivecommunityandstronginstitutionalstructures.Theseprocesseshavelargelyoccurredasaresultofhistoricalpathdependence:asMahoney(2000)notes,pathdependenceoccurswhen“aninstitutionalpattern—onceadopt-ed—deliversincreasingbenefitswithitscontinuedadoption,andthusovertimeitbecomesmoreandmoredifficulttotransformthepatternorselectpreviouslyavailableoptions.”Here theprocessofpathde-pendencehasdevelopedthroughtheaforementionedsharedhistory,whichinturnproducesplaceattachment.Theplaceattachmentthenresultsincommunalandinstitutionalnormsofreciprocity.ForPinetaSacchetti,thispatternmeansthattheincreasingbenefitsofretellingasharedhistorytranslateintoacommunityandinstitutionsthatsupportthesocialneedsofchildrenandelders.Bysharinghistory,reciprocalinteractionsarestrengthenedacrosssocialgroupsandinstitutions.

This localhistorygave residentsastrongsenseofprideandownership over the neighborhood; two anecdotes fromPineta Sac-chetti highlight this point. First, we once encountered a housewithalemontreeinfront,andtheownercameouttotellusthatthetreewasplantedbyhergrandfatherwhenhebuilttheirhouse.Thisstoryreinforces an intergenerational attachment to theneighborhoodanditshistory, towhichmanyresidentsarepalpablyconnectedasare-sultofitsself-builtnature.Second,toprotecttheirregionalpark,thecommunityhadtouniteagainstprivatedevelopersthroughthe1970sand1980sandsuccessfullystavedoffthethreatofdevelopment.Thissharedsenseofhistoryprovidestheneighborhoodwithstrongsocialreciprocity.Thishistoryisevenbeingimparteduponnewgenerationsandnewinhabitants intheneighborhood,aswefoundinourphoto-voiceworkshopthatalmosteverychildwasexcitedtoshareanecdotesfromPinetaSacchetti’shistory.

Photo:GrayBrakke38


Related to itssharedhistory,anotherstrong invisibleassetofPinetaSacchetti’ssociallayerisastrongsenseofplace.Place-makinggreatlyinformsPinetaSacchetti’ssuccessthroughitsabilitytocreateplaceattachment,similarlyengenderingastrongsenseofownershipovertheneighborhood.Again,pathdependencycanbeheld responsible.AsPineta Sacchetti and its institutions developasdiscreteplaceswithdiscrete identities, residentsbuy into theirideological power.Mahoney (2000)writes that in this framework,“onceagiveninstitutioniscontingentlyselected,theinstitutionwillbereinforcedthroughprocessesofincreasinglegitimation.”InPine-taSacchetti, theresidentscollectivelyselectedaninstitutionalizedidentitythroughhistoryandsenseofplace.This identity is institu-tionalizedthroughcommunityhubslikethelocalschoolandthroughplacemakinginitiatives.Asrevealedbythenodesofactivitychosenbychildrenandeldersinourresearch,theseinstitutionsandtheirrelationshipwithsenseofplacearecrucialforthechildrenandel-dersofPinetaSacchetti.

Sense of place in Pineta Sacchetti has been reinforcedthroughout itshistoryandby its institutions.Some important inci-dencesofthissenseofplacerevealingitselfhavebeentherenam-ingoftheneighborhood’spiazzaandtheworkofalocalstreetartgroup.ThemainpiazzainPinetaSacchetti,PiazzaPioIX,onlyre-centlyacquired itsname.Formerly, itwascalledPiazzadiPrima-valle,referencingthenearbyborgataoutofwhichPinetaSacchettigrew.Collectiveresidenteffortsledtoitsrenaming,whichattemptstoreclaimforPinetaSacchettianidentityindependentofneighbor-ingPrimavalle.ThisnewnamerepresentstheinstitutionalizationofPinetaSacchetti’s independenceandthusthestrengtheningof itsideological power for its inhabitants, particularly given the impor-tanceof thephysical space that thename represents.Otherele-mentsoftheneighborhoodthatourresearchuncoveredasimport-antwerethemuralscreatedbylocalstreetartgroupPinacciNostri.Theywereoneofthemostfrequentsubjectsofthephotovoice

excercise.PinacciNostriattemptstoconnecttheneighborhoodwithits history through street art, empowering its independent identityand senseof place. In turn, theseefforts legitimate thepower ofPinetaSacchettiandthusitssocialcohesionaswell.

AfinalelementofPinetaSacchetti’ssociallayerthatweun-coveredwas itsnormsof reciprocity.Tying togethersharedhisto-ryandsenseofplace,thesociallayerofPinetaSacchetticreatesnorms of reciprocity among its inhabitants through path depen-dence.Normsofreciprocityexhibitamoralcodethatbindtogethercommunitiesregardlessofbackground,allowingfortheinitiationofsocialinteractions(Gouldner1960).Eventually,thesenormsofrec-iprocitycreateiterativebehaviorsthatencouragecommonproperty

Figure34:CasadelParcoLibraryprovidesprogramingforcitizensofallages,andasyoungas6monthsold.

Photo:GrayBrakke

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regimesamongtheinhabitantsofPinetaSacchetti.Asaresult,theyformsocialbondsthatcohereacrossgenerationsandprovideso-cialsupports.ThesesocialsupportsarewhatcontributetothechildandagefriendlinessofPinetaSacchetti’ssociallayer.Furthermore,theycharacterizewhatmanyintheneighborhooddescribedasavil-lage-likeatmosphere.ThefactthatPinetaSacchettihasbeenabletoretainthisatmosphereislargelypathdependentinthatitisbasedonitsfoundingasaperipheralvillageofthecity.

One of themost common impressions of Pineta Sacchettithatwefoundwasthat itwas likeasmallvillagewithinthe largercityofRome.Many residentsexpressedcomfort in theneighbor-hoodforpreciselythisreason.Throughitshistory,PinetaSacchetti

hasshiftedfromavillage,toaperipheralarea,tobeingafullpartofRome’surbanfabric.Had itnotbeenfor thesebeginnings, theneighborhoodwouldnothavedevelopedthestrongsociallayerthatithastoday.Furthermore,withoutthisstrongsocial layer, itwouldnotbeabletodeveloptheinstitutionsandnormsofreciprocitythatallowittocompensateforpoorphysicaldesignvis-à-vischildandagefriendliness.Indeed,ourphotovoiceworkshopwithchildrenandquestionnaireswithelderswereatestamenttothisfact,withmostrespondents citing it as one ofPinetaSacchetti’smost importantinvisibleassets.Essentially,giventheneighborhood’spoorphysicaldesign,PinetaSacchetti’svulnerablechildandelderlypopulationsrelyuponitsinvisibleassetscreatedbypathdependencyandsocialreciprocity.

Figure35:Thismural,titledGoing to Rome,isonecreatedbyPinacciNostri.ItdepictsacoupletravelingalongviaTorrevechiafromPinetaSacchettitoRome,assertingthatPinetaSacchettiisaplaceofitsownwithinthecontextofRome.

Photo:PinacciNostri


CONCLUSIONAccessibility and Identity in Pineta Sacchetti As articulated in the introduction, Pineta Sacchetti is an un-planned, imperfectly maintained neighborhood that does not alignwiththeliteratureidealsofchildoragefriendliness.Whatcananor-ganicallygrownneighborhoodprovide in termsofsocial frameworkthatdesignstandardsalonecannot?Atthisstageofourresearch,wehaveidentifiedthreemainanswerstothisquestion.

First, strongsocial-institutional structurescompensate forPi-netaSacchetti’sinaccessiblephysicalfeatures.Accordingtocontem-poraryplanningsensibilitiesandliterature,thephysicalfeaturescon-tributetoaninaccessibleneighborhoodwithregardtowalkabilityandservices.Walkability is affected by a haphazard and knotted streetnetworkaswellashillytopology.Furthermore,itishinderedbyside-walksthatarefrequentlysub-parorevennonexistent,asassessedbyoursidewalk typologyand inventory.Services,meanwhile,arecon-signedtotheedgesoftheneighborhoodandnotdistributedequitably,meaningthatphysicalproximitytoservicescanbeacommonissueforinhabitants.

Strongsocial-institutionalstructures,however,createanenvi-ronmentofchildandagefriendliness.Essentially,theneighborhoodhouses strong social and cultural institutions with self-created pro-gramsthatbuildcommunityandprovideintergenerationalinteraction.TheseinstitutionsincludePinetaSacchetti’sschool,CentroAnziani,andlibrary,eachofwhichoffersconsiderableprogramming.Inaddi-tion,socialandculturalbondshavebeenformedaround“landmark”eventsintheneighborhood’shistory.TheseeventsincluderestoringamilitaryhospitaltobeingaschoolaftertheendofWorldWarII,thestruggletofightdevelopersinPinetoRegionalParkin1987,andre-centcommunityeffortstoreplanttreesafteranincidenceofarsoninthepark.Beyondallofthesesocialandinstitutionalfeatures,thereare

evensomepotential,nuancedupsidestoPinetaSacchetti’sphysicalfeatures.Forexample,a lackofmajortrafficthroughtheresidentialcore leadstooccasional increase inaccessibility forresidents.Thisconcentrationofresidentialusefurtherleadstomulti-generationalfa-milialconsistencyandagreatersenseofcommunity thatpervadesPinetaSacchetti.

Second,inspiteofhazyphysicalboundaries,astrongsenseof community identity remainsattached to thearea.With littlepub-lic spaceandcentralization, theneighborhoodhasbeensomewhatanonymousthroughoutitshistory.Ourimpressionsandmultipleinter-viewsindicatethatthereiswidespreadconfusionovertheboundariesandnameofthearea:itisnotquitePrimavalleandnotquiteAurelia.OnlyrecentlyhastheneighborhoodbeenconsideredapartofRome;mostpeoplenowwouldidentifyasRomansfirst.Nonetheless,thereexists remarkably strong community identity in the neighborhood.Manyof thesesame interviews indicateavillage-like community.Atypicalinterviewresponsewereceivedwasroughly“PinetaSacchettidoesn’texist,butletmetellyouaboutitfortwohours.”Wehavefoundanumberoffactorscontributingtothiscommunitycohesion. Neighborhood identityhasbeensolidified through thePinetoRegional Park, particularly given the aforementioned fight over thepark in1987 toprevent it frombeingprivatelydeveloped.ThishasbeencitedininterviewsasthefirstmomentthatPinetaSacchettibe-cameitsownplace.AnotherplacemakinginitiativeisthatofPinacciNostri,alocalassociationcommittedtocreatingstreetartaroundtheneighborhood.Itsstreetartconnectstheneighborhoodtoitshistory:onemuralinparticularoutlinestheentirehistoryoftheneighborhood.Another keyelement in thehistoryof its identitywas the renamingof the piazza. To distinguish Pineta Sacchetti from Primavalle, the

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neighborhood’smainpiazzawasrenamedfromPiazzadiPrimaval-le toPiazzaPio IXasa resultofcitizen-ledefforts.Finally, there isastrong intergenerationalcomponent to thiscohesion.Many in theneighborhoodfeelconnectedtohomesthattheirancestorsbuiltanddeveloped,asexemplifiedbythestoryofthelemontree.

Third,weexaminedhowplaceattachmentchangesthroughouttimeandacrossgenerations.Someofthemostpressingthemeswehavefoundinourresearchrelatetoplaceattachmentandidentity.In-habitantsofPinetaSacchettiarepalpablyconnectedtotheconstruc-tionoftheneighborhood,butsomewhatparadoxically,itlacksastrongsenseof identityanddefinition.Therearesubstantial feelingsof in-tergenerationalconnection to thebuildersof theneighborhood,andmanycitizenshavedescribedavillage-likeatmosphere.Thephysicalandsocialboundariesoftheneighborhoodhavefluctuatedthrough-outtime.

Theareahasseenthreedistinctphases:first,asasmallvil-lagenear thePrimavalleborgata;second,as theRomanperipheryduringthemid-centuryhousingboom;andthird,asafullyconnectedneighborhoodinthecentralcity.Aseriesofkeyeventsintheneigh-borhood’shistoryhavefurtherallowedittomaintainitssenseofplace.Forexample,theoriginsoftheneighborhoodlieinclaiminglandthatwasformerlyownedbythepapacyanditsagentsandthenusingittocreateavillageforworkingclassRomansinthebuildingtrades.Asalreadymentioned,theoccupationandstruggletoclaimPinetoRe-gionalParkandtherenamingofPiazzaPioIXfromPiazzaPrimaval-lebothexemplifycitizen-ledplacemakingthatgavePinetaSacchettiidentity.ThoughwehaveuncoveredthesenumerousfacetsofPinetaSacchetti and its identity,weendeavor to include thevoicesof thechildrenandelderlywhocallithome.WehaveelicitedtheperceptionsofchildrenthroughphotovoiceandtheelderlythroughquestionnairestofullyunderstandhowplaceattachmentdiffersacrossgenerationsinPinetaSacchetti.

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Photo:GrayBrakke

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PINETA SACCHETTI - Cornell AAP...Pineta Sacchetti is a rare oasis in Rome where neighbors all know...

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