A new national project aims to return streets and piazzas to children and adolescents, providing them with spaces to meet and play freely as a concrete alternative to digital addiction. Inspired by the UK’s “play streets” model, the initiative, named “Strade in gioco” (Streets for Play), was launched by Italy’s Guarantor Authority for Children and Adolescents.
The project is targeted at municipalities with populations between 10,000 and 200,000 residents and a population density of at least 1,500 inhabitants per square kilometer. “We want to strengthen sociality by offering a concrete alternative to dependency on virtual environments, passive entertainment, and the negative dynamics of online spaces. Young people themselves are asking for safe spaces, places to disconnect where they don’t feel judged,” explained Guarantor Authority official Marina Terragni.
To qualify for funding from the Authority, participating municipalities are asked to provide dedicated space and time for unstructured play and meeting, without organized activities. This will involve closing existing streets or internal residential squares to traffic, either permanently or on a fixed schedule. These areas will be outfitted with small urban installations—such as planters, tables, and little libraries or toy exchange boxes—and decorated with street art.
To ensure these spaces remain “alive,” the involvement of public or third-sector organizations already active in the community will be necessary. The project also encourages simple forms of consultation with local residents where possible.
The call for applications, funded with 450,000 euros, was published yesterday on the Authority’s website and is open to the 198 Italian municipalities that meet the specified demographic criteria. A total of 15 projects will be funded, with grants of up to 30,000 euros each to cover 24 months of activities.
“This is not about organizing parties, one-off events, or installing playgrounds, but about activating experiences of free and spontaneous sociality—lightweight and widespread initiatives capable of taking root in the community even beyond the funded project’s duration. Furthermore, the hope is that they can become a model replicated by other municipalities,” concluded Terragni.