by Nina Vaclavikova
Interview: Daniele Mosetti, president of Ater
City officials, health leaders, and representatives from local cooperatives gathered Tuesday morning at Trieste’s Salotto Azzurro to present the second edition of the Festival delle Comunità di Habitat Microaree, an event highlighting neighborhood-based social and health programs. The festival is scheduled for September 9 at the Franco and Franca Basaglia theater.
The initiative, known as Habitat Microaree, was launched more than two decades ago and now operates in 14 neighborhoods across Trieste. It brings together housing authorities, health services, and social organizations to foster connections among residents, particularly in large public housing complexes. Officials described the program as a rare national model of collaboration between institutions and communities.
Mayor Roberto Dipiazza called Habitat Microaree “an extraordinary project” that creates networks of support in neighborhoods by combining housing, health, and social services. Social policy councillor Massimo Tognolli noted that the festival serves as a culmination of summer activities in the city’s microareas. “It tells a story of community,” he said, emphasizing the initiative’s goal of building connections across both central and peripheral districts.
For Massimo Mosetti, president of the regional housing authority ATER, the program also reflects a broader evolution in urban welfare. “The home is where every story begins, but it is in the community that stories find care and value,” he said. ATER has recently introduced new social services, including dedicated social workers for vulnerable households, conflict mediation, and initiatives to prevent rent arrears.
Health administrators see the project as a testing ground for future approaches. Giulio Antonini, director of health and social services at ASUGI, described the microareas as “an environment to rethink local care structures,” including community health centers, family nurses, and telemedicine.
Other speakers underscored the importance of rebuilding social ties in large housing complexes. “There was once a culture of neighbors helping one another,” said Ambra de Candido, director of Trieste’s social services department. “These microareas are designed to revive that spirit and make urban life more livable.”
This year’s festival will differ from last year’s inaugural edition by shifting focus from neighborhood identity to the processes that sustain community development. Organizers said they want to shed light on the often-invisible efforts — from planning and coordination to the daily work of social operators — that make public events and services possible.
The September 9 gathering will include the screening of a short film narrated in the voice of Trieste’s famous Bora wind, which will carry viewers through different neighborhoods, weaving together stories of residents and the initiatives that support them.
The festival is organized by the Municipality of Trieste in collaboration with ASUGI, ATER, and the cooperatives La Quercia and Duemilauno Agenzia Sociale.
