Collective Well-Being and Community Resilience: Towards a Social Design Approach
Jan 2026, Vol. 4, No. 1, Issue
Author(s)
Dr. Marco Bevolo (World University of Design, Sonipat)
Elena Fabris (Head of Community Development, Planet Smart City, Turin, Italy)
Ilaria Rapaccini Bellini (Social Impact Manager, Planet Smart City India, Pune, India)
Mattia Monacelli (Social Impact Designer, Planet Smart City, Turin, Italy)
Abstract
This conceptual paper positions Social Design as a comprehensive framework to overcome the limitations of technocentric urban models, particularly the erosion of social cohesion within dwellings and settlements. It integrates theories of well-being, resilience, commons, participation, relational space, reputation, and social capital into a systemic approach aimed at fostering collective well-being and community resilience. Drawing on reflexive inputs accumulated through applied research in a Prop-Tech real estate context, the paper advances two interrelated methodological frameworks. The first, Social Design for Value and Reputation, elucidates how participatory engagement and shared values generate symbolic capital and socio-cultural legitimacy. The second, Digital and Service Acceleration, illustrates how service systems and digital infrastructures can act as catalysts of positive social dynamics—such as neighbourliness, well-being, and local economic vitality.
The paper offers theoretically grounded reflections and a preliminary methodological articulation that demonstrate how Social Design can serve as a repeatable and participatory grammar for systemic value creation through communities, placing relational, behavioural, and social dynamics at the centre of the design process. Although the paper provides no empirical data, its propositions emerge from practice. They may inform policymakers, urban designers, and community practitioners seeking strategic approaches to urban governance where well-being, reputation, social cohesion, and legitimacy are at stake. As a conceptual contribution, its scientific impact is limited to theoretical elaboration, highlighting the need for future research to empirically test and operationalise these frameworks across diverse urban and cultural contexts, and to develop methods for measuring relational impacts. By synthesising multiple theoretical strands, the paper contributes an integrative and original perspective to ongoing debates on urban well-being, resilience, and reputation.
DOI :
Copyright & Licence
Authors publishing in JAARD retain copyright in their work and grant the journal the right of first publication. Published articles are made available under the Creative Commons licence specified by the journal. Current licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Dates
Published: 30th Jan 2026
Received: 27th Oct 2025
Accepted: 8th Dec 2025
Pages : 43-55
Citation
Bevolo, M., Fabris, E., Rapaccini Bellini, I., & Monacelli, M. (2026). Collective well-being and community resilience: towards a social design approach. International Journal of Arts, Architecture & Design, 4(1), 43–55. https://doi.org/10.62030/2026Janpaper4
References
Aldrich, D. P. (2012). Building resilience: Social capital in post-disaster recovery. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Anholt, S. (2010). Places: Identity, image, and reputation. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Berger, P. L., & Luckmann, T. (1966). The social construction of reality: A treatise in the sociology of knowledge. New York: Anchor Books.
Bonomi, A., & De Rita, G. (1998). Manifesto per lo sviluppo locale. Bologna: Il Mulino.
Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education (pp. 241–258). New York: Greenwood Press.
Bregman, R. (2017). Utopia for realists: How we can build the ideal world. London: Bloomsbury.
Bruni, L., & Porta, P. L. (2005). Economics and happiness: Framing the analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Buchanan, R. (1992). Wicked problems in design thinking. Design Issues, 8(2), 5–21.
Castells, M. (2012). Networks of outrage and hope: Social movements in the internet age. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Coleman, J. S. (1988). Social capital in the creation of human capital. American Journal of Sociology, 94, S95–S120.
Cottam, H. (2018). Radical help: How we can remake the relationships between us and revolutionise the welfare state. London: Virago.
Dewey, J. (1934). Art as experience. New York: Minton, Balch & Company.
Ehn, P., & Topgaard, R. (Eds.). (2014). Making futures: Marginal notes on innovation, design, and democracy. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Escobar, A. (2018). Designs for the pluriverse: Radical interdependence, autonomy, and the making of worlds. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Friedman, K. (2019). Systemic design theory: Integrating systems thinking and design. London: Routledge.
Gergen, K. J. (1999). An invitation to social construction. London: SAGE.
Govers, R. (2018). Imaginative communities: Admired cities, regions and countries. Antwerp: Reputo Press.
Granovetter, M. (1973). The strength of weak ties. American Journal of Sociology, 78(6), 1360–1380.
Inghilleri, P. (2021). I luoghi che curano. Milan: Raffaello Cortina.
Jacobs, J. (1961). The death and life of great American cities. New York: Random House.
Kavaratzis, M., & Ashworth, G. (2015). Rethinking place branding: Comprehensive brand development for cities and regions. New York: Springer.
Krippendorff, K. (2006). The semantic turn: A new foundation for design. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
Latour, B. (2005). Reassembling the social: An introduction to actor-network theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lefebvre, H. (1974). The production of space. Oxford: Blackwell.
Manzini, E. (2015). Design, when everybody designs: An introduction to design for social innovation. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Manzini, E. (2021). Livable proximities: Ideas for the city that cares. Milan: EGEA.
Manzini, E., & Jegou, F. (2003). Sustainable everyday: Scenarios of urban life. Milan: Edizioni Ambiente.
Mattei, U. (2011). Beni comuni: Un manifesto. Bari: Laterza.
Meadows, D. H. (2008). Thinking in systems: A primer. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing.
Mulgan, G., Tucker, S., Ali, R., & Sanders, B. (2007). Social innovation: What it is, why it matters and how it can be accelerated. Oxford: Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Said Business School, University of Oxford.
Ostrom, E. (1990). Governing the commons: The evolution of institutions for collective action. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Papanek, V. (1984). Design for the real world: Human ecology and social change. Chicago: Academy Chicago Publishers.
Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Ramos, J. M. (Ed.). (2016). The city as commons. Melbourne: Commons Transition Coalition.
Reason, P., & Bradbury, H. (Eds.). (2001). Handbook of action research: Participative inquiry and practice. London: SAGE.
Rittel, H. W. J., & Webber, M. M. (1973). Dilemmas in a general theory of planning. Policy Sciences, 4(2), 155–169.
Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. New York: Basic Books.
Sennett, R. (2012). Together: The rituals, pleasures and politics of cooperation. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Simon, H. A. (1969). The sciences of the artificial. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Thackara, J. (2005). In the bubble: Designing in a complex world. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Venturi, P., & Zandonai, F. (2019). Dove. La dimensione di luogo che ricompone impresa e società. Milan: EGEA.
Wilkinson, R., & Pickett, K. (2009). The spirit level: Why equality is better for everyone. London: Penguin.
World Economic Forum. (2023). Global risks report 2023. Geneva: World Economic Forum.
Wright, K. (2022). Community resilience: A critical approach. New York: Routledge.