"Arquitetura participativa" na visão de Giancarlo de Carlo

Abstract

In the current debate on architecture and urbanism, participation takes on great importance. The involvement of users in projects that affect the community has been suggested as a way of facing the social and political scope of such undertakings. This popular participation would be a conduit for the opinion and desire and those benefiting from these urban spaces, ensuring greater citizenship and democracy in their design. During the 1960s and 1970s, Giancarlo de Carlo, an italian architect, pioneered reflection on the importance of participation in architecture and the creation of procedures for incorporating user participation in the development of projects. His proposals and projects set important strides in defining working procedures for an architecture of participation. This is exemplified by his project for worker dwellings at Vila Matteotti (1964-1974) and his study for Urbino's urban development (1958-1976). The purpose of this article is to understand the inquietudes, reflections and influences behind de Carlo's thoughts, which lead him to choose participation as a means to find answers for social and political issues in architecture and urbanism. Without losing touch with reality, he also criticized the participatory process itself, as well as its limits, scope and gimmicks. This topic is of particular relevance today because de Carlo has become, once again, a reference for works which aim to include user participation in the development of projects.