| Description |
Cascina Roccafranca is a cultural and social centre operating in a former farm and its courtyard on the southern outskirt of Turin. The building is owned by the City of Turin and the renovation partly was financed by the municipal budget. The new use started in 2007 in 2500 m2 of covered space and 2000 m2 courtyard. The centre is part of the Case del Quartiere network and the Cascina Roccafranca Foundation, that holds together public actor (Municipality of Turin) and private actors (46 associations and civic groups) in a shared responsibility relationship, manage it. Cascina Roccafranca provides a variety of services: a welcome area; advice services on legal, housing and administrative issues; a baby parking; spaces for associations and citizens; an Ecomuseo that is an urban museum about the neighbourhood history; a restaurant and a cafeteria, managed by a social cooperative. The managing body, local associations and informal groups promote all the cultural and leisure activities. |
| Description of the economic, social and environmental impacts of the project |
Cascina Roccafranca Foundation represents a model of managing a public facility in cooperation with citizen groups, NGOs and social actors. The managing body has a role of facilitator, guarantor, and coordination of processes, while the different partners organize the 90 % of activities. The economic model to look forward to is a self-sustainability, in 2007 the Cascina with its activities cover 33% of its costs, in 2017 it covers 60%. The income comes from the establishment of commercial activities supporting the project and from economic partnerships with the private sector. The rest of the revenues come from fundraising with a private banking foundation, the Compagnia di San Paolo, based in Turin. Cascina Roccafranca built over time a solid network of associations, informal groups and other types of organizations operating in the social sector; it is an example of social inclusion for the neighborhood and the city with the most of participants from 26 to 64 years old. |
