Governo sostenibile della città e partecipazione dei cittadini: il caso di Freiburg im Breisgau

The changes triggered by global phenomena produced significant effects on cities, not only in terms of organizational and territorial structures, but also in terms of economic and social transformations. Soil consumption and the rise of social uneasiness are the most evident outcomes of an out-of-date urban development. Thus, an environmentally sustainable approach and a wider involvement of citizens in urban government are urgently demanded. In this context, the phenomenon ofgreen citiesis spreading through actions and policies which seem to take care of governing the ongoing changes. This thesis aims to tackle urban sustainability issues with reference to the case of the German city of Freiburg in Breisgau, one of the most acknowledged example of sustainable city as regards the environmental policies adopted during the last decades. In addition, the German case lends itself to be studied regarding the practices of citizens' participation, both as atop-downinvolvement, and as abottom-upactivation of citizens on voluntary basis. The empiric part of this thesis focuses on the role played by citizens' associations (Buergervereine) to promote the social inclusion and the liveability within the neighbourhood. Moreover, it highlights how the indifference shown by younger generations towards this matter might challenge participation, meant as an essential instrument to the pursuit of a sustainable development even in social terms.