Measuring urban ageing. Città Giardino Torino: a resilient archipelago for the elderly.

Disruptive demographic trends show a world that is rapidly ageing. The goal of this paper is to measure the possible fallout of the demographic phenomenon on the physical environment through multiscale analysis - from the city to the house - and identifying the diachronic processes of adaptation and manipulation. In order to reach the geographical dimension of the phenomenon, the data related to the ageing population in the city of Turin were merged with the urban fabric. The ageing mapping obtained from this analysis shows the substantial convergence of the “public city” with the one of the elderly, with the exception of the neighborhood of Città Giardino. Through the case study of Città Giardino in Turin and his story - made of continuous transformations – the paper points out the dynamic process of adaptation and some resilient practice. In particular, the analysis highlights the physical transformation and the tendency to place attachment, reinforced by new patterns of use of the existing private and public buildings. Within an invisible crisis and in a context of little institutional awareness, Città Giardino offers the opportunity to rethink urban policies and to organize a governance strategy in a longer time perspective. Moreover, the research identifies a housing stock that represents a possible resource for a more inclusive habitat.