Landscape design as an extention of welfare

The paper investigates the role of landscape design as an extension of welfare policies, framing the network of collective services—schools, parks, civic and cultural centers, libraries—as a tangible and intangible legacy of twentieth-century European urbanism. This heritage, while embodying significant public value, often appears outdated in its spatial, functional, and managerial dimensions, demanding a reinterpretation of planning standards beyond the quantitative parameters defined by Italian regulation (DM 1444/1968). The study advocates for a qualitative and context-sensitive approach, addressing the evolving social demands and ecological challenges of intermediate territories, those situated between metropolitan areas and inner peripheries. Within this framework, the Negroamaro Multifunctional Agricultural Park is presented as an innovative experiment in constructing a “welfarescape,” where landscape becomes an infrastructural device for enhancing liveability and social well-being. Through a system of green and blue networks, the project proposes ecological reconnections between natural ecosystems, rural production areas, and urban fringes, fostering sustainable mobility and adaptive land-use practices. The park thus exemplifies a landscape-based welfare model, capable of integrating environmental regeneration with territorial cohesion, and redefining the countryside as a new form of habitable and democratic space.