October 2nd we launched LabGov once again for the new academic year 2015/2016! On our first afternoon of the year, full of emotions and debates, we started with a very ambitious and challenging project. In the presence of the new LabGovers (Law, Economics, and Political Science students)several professors, staff members and illustrious experts had the chance to work together, listen to the inspiring words of one another’s previous experiences and imagine a new project for this year. We expect great ambition and willpower, as well as excellent results to share!
The meeting was attended by the Rector of the University Massimo Egidi, the famous Architect Massimo Alvisi and other partners of LabGov, including Luca D’Eusebio for Zappata Romana, Luca Parisio, Serena Baldari and Antonello Caporale. During the afternoon, the new program for the year was introduced by the name of CO-Rome, a project that involves the study of Rome as a city in which we try to build an innovative institutional future, with different and better views . The five souls of the collaborative governance (social innovation, public authorities, schools/universities, businesses, organized civil society) will work together to re-design our own city, making it more economically sustainable.
The goal of LabGov is to form new professional figures: “the practitioners of the commons.” These are people who are able to work in government, in business and in societies. They employ and enhance the resources, ideas, energy, skills and talents of these businesses and societies, which are widespread in the community and in the territories.
Autonomy, accountability, transparency and international openness are the values that make LabGov an incubator of innovative ideas built to establish a new economic and institutional paradigm.
The objects of analysis and experimentation will be as follows: collaborative urban and local governance; and economic, institutional and legal technology applied to the commons (urban, industrial, environmental, cultural, cognitive, digital, etc.). These objects promote processes of local economic development and strategic planning, based on innovation and civic collaboration between the public, private and community.
We will start with an initial mapping phase with a careful reading of the territory and its forms of collaboration. We will then have two phases of design and a follow-up.
As we have already done before, we will apply the CO-Cities approach, based on a strong partnership between institutions, the private sector and the community with significant help on the research side by the academic field.
This year, the co-design will be the fundamental instrument to create a prototype for effective governance and to identify tools based on the needs and characteristics of this city. We have to create a governance tool for the city of Rome that is suitable to the city’s peculiarities. This is our challenge: CO-Roma! In our research, we indentified different areas for testing urban cooperation, which are located on the outskirts of Rome: Garbatella neighborhood, the Appia Antica Park, a high school in Ostia and the V Municipality (Prenestino-Centocelle).
They represent four different types of urban commons to regenerate and invest in. This year, the Lab will focus on a very stimulating challenge for the City. A very stimulating journey cha in the City with many allies, partners and friends who will provide insightful advice to prototype a Commons-based collaborative governance for Rome. The Laboratory stays open to contributions, help and advice. The fourth edition of the Lab will take place in two phases. The former phase will focus on the workshops (October 2/2015, November 13/2015, February 26/2016 and April 8/2016). The latter phase will include co-working sessions (16/17 October 2015, 20/21 November 2015, 04/05 March 2016 and 15/-16 April 2016).
During the project, students will also engage in the field. They will cultivate the garden within LUISS University, a real testing ground of governance. In these 100 hours of pure innovation, together we will discover new stimulating and exciting forms of cooperation! For any information please write to our official account.