Counteracting Digital Divides through a Place-based Inclusion Process. Insights from an Ongoing Research Project

Abstract

The inclusion paradigm raises a paradoxical question: how inclusive is inclusion in contexts marked by deep socio-economic vulnerability? Digitalization—especially through the “smart city” model—claims to promote inclusion but often reinforces inequality by placing responsibility on individuals and ignoring structural barriers. Drawing on the ‘(E)Welfare in the City’ project in Rozzano, south of Milan—part of Italy’s PNRR-funded M.U.S.A. program—this paper rethinks digital inclusion through ecological thinking. By combining insights from urban planning, sociology, and design, the project co-designs inclusive digital solutions with both youth and older residents, at the same time leveraging Rozzano’s strong local networks that everyday address pressing challenges such as poverty, school dropout, and demographic complexity. The goal is to create place-based, equitable digital futures that respond to the lived realities of marginalized communities.