Conference Program

In the contemporary Mediterranean context, marked by rapid socio-economic transformations and brain drain; it is crucial to understand how to support young people in becoming agents of change. In this regard, youth policies contribute to evolving the welfare system from a traditional protective form toward an innovative and enabling one (Minervini, 2016). They play a fundamental role in providing personal and professional growth opportunities for young people who currently face increasingly significant challenges such as unemployment, social exclusion, inequalities, job insecurity, and mental health issues.
This contribution reconstructs the evolution of youth policies in the Puglia Region, focusing particularly on "Galattica – Rete Giovani Puglia" as a paradigm of collaborative governance and participatory urban regeneration. Through a sociological lens, the study investigates the socio-spatial transformations of the measure, drawing from the theoretical corpus of third places (Oldenburg, 1989) and third spaces (Bhabha, 1994; Soja, 1996)—viewed as spaces of cultural hybridity where identity, belonging, and social justice are negotiated.
The methodology adopts a mixed-methods approach based on the principles of realistic evaluation, combining focus groups with policy makers, semi-structured interviews with 9 regional youth workers, documentary analysis, and a multiple case study. This top-down logic allows for the reconstruction of strategies, challenges, and opportunities emerged during the first implementation cycle of the measure, providing a privileged perspective on governance mechanisms and implementation processes to understand "what works, for whom, in what circumstances, and why" (Pawson & Tilley, 1997).
The Galattica policy represents the evolution of Puglia’s regional urban regeneration strategies, activating 96 local "Nodes" as proximity spaces for providing information, orientation, and support, following a logic of co-design and shared governance based on the suspension of traditional institutional rules. Through the thematic mapping of 1,519 events promoted in local plans and 172 regionals program activities designed to meet identified local needs, the research categorizes five intervention clusters: economic and professional empowerment; rights and social inclusion; civic participation and active citizenship; personal development and well-being; culture, creativity, and sustainability.
Preliminary results highlight a transformative impact, such as socio-spatial changes and youth empowerment but also reveal governance challenges. In conclusion, this research intends to contribute to the debate on collaborative governance models in public policy, highlighting how experimenting with innovative forms of co-design can generate more effective solutions for the territorial and collective needs of young people navigating the phase currently defined as "emerging adulthood" (Arnett, 2000).
Through a sociological reflection on the Apulian model, the study explores the transformative potential of youth policies in countering the marginalization and commodification of urban space, highlighting how investing in the human and social capital of new generations can trigger urban regeneration processes capable of responding to the contemporary challenges of youth unemployment and the crisis of democratic participation.