Italy's 110% Ecobonus for Public Housing: A Call to Involve Artists in Renovation

Massimiliano Tonelli argues that Italy's 110% Ecobonus, which refunds 110% of energy efficiency renovation costs, should mandate the inclusion of artists in public housing redevelopment. The bonus, approved by the former Conte government, is now being applied to public housing built between the 1970s and 1980s, often degraded and energy-inefficient. In Milan, municipal company MM plans €100 million in investments, while Rome's Ater aims to recover nearly 50,000 housing units and thousands of commercial spaces. Tonelli proposes involving not just street artists but also visual artists, designers, poets, lighting experts, and young architecture and landscape studios from the project's outset, not as an afterthought. He frames this as a law: 'It is forbidden to redevelop large public housing buildings without involving artists in the project.' The article, published on Artribune, calls on national players managing hundreds of apartment blocks to see this as an opportunity for creative urban regeneration that fosters identity and community engagement.