THE WAU CITY - Designing civic participation rituals to enable virtuous loops

Yesterday, students kicked off “THE WAU CITY – Designing civic participation rituals to enable virtuous loops”, a two-week workshop developed in collaboration with WAU! Milano.

Led by Chiara Monteleone and Lesley Ann Culla, the workshop invites students to explore WAU! Milano’s ecosystem as a city within the city, investigating how civic participation can evolve from occasional volunteering into long-term, meaningful engagement.

The journey started with an introduction to the association and its civic mission. Students had the opportunity to meet Andrea Amato, President of WAU! Milano and Viola Pretolani, Executive Member of WAU!, who shared insights into the organization’s history, values, and vision for active citizenship in Milan. This first exchange offered an insider perspective on the challenges and opportunities of building participatory communities and sustaining civic engagement over time.

Throughout the workshop, teams will examine how different generations perceive, access, and interact with participatory initiatives, uncovering the motivations, barriers, and expectations that shape civic involvement. Through ethnographic research, field observation, interviews, and participation analysis, students will investigate how participation can be transformed into a self-sustaining and socially impactful process.

Special thanks also to Donata Andreutti, Secretary, and Dora Gullì, Treasurer and Schools & Companies Coordinator, for their valuable support and contribution to the workshop.

We are excited to see how the students will translate research into future-oriented and socially sustainable proposals, exploring the role of design in fostering more inclusive and resilient urban communities.