The study involved a building stock of over 60 real estate units equal to 105,759 m2, distributed over a municipal area of 97.59 km2.
The study is related to three types of schools (kindergartens, elementary and middle schools), with 13,630 members out of a population of 177,643 inhabitants, foreseeing the need to build and/or redevelop over 25,000 m2 in a ten-year programme.
The evaluation took into account the forecasts of future demand, and the past demand for the main types of school buildings based on their state of conservation, availability, and functionality.
The analysis was conducted with the support of a software specifically designed to carry out qualitative and quantitative analyses/evaluations in order to estimate and locate the structural need, potential and implementation constraints, typology, consistency, and costs of the interventions.
On this knowledge-basis, the decision-making phase was carried out in a negotiation manner involving the main stakeholders and using a board game specifically concieved and realized for it. At the end, the results were formalized in the ‘Piano Direttore’ a programming document establishins priorities, times and costs.
Giuseppe Ridolfi covered the role of scientific director of the study, which involved a multidisciplinary team formed by different specialists from the University of Florence and the Technical Offices of the Municipality of Prato.
The study lasted for over three years, envisaging phases of analysis and monitoring, database impementation, field investigations, briefings with the various stakeholders, focus groups, negotiation activities, and the final drafting of the plan with parametric forecast of investment costs and articulation of its implementation phases.
