“University Equity”: Students’ Facilities in Major Tourism Destination Towns

The paper discusses an experimental approach oriented to define urban regeneration strategies for the city of Matera (Basilicata, Italy) to address the strategic issues of the university students group intended as a specific city user category. A group of students in an urban planning course conducted the research, selecting measures to improve specific urban components such as green spaces, unused buildings, and pedestrian safety near schools. The study provides a draft master-plan for Matera, which can contribute to the public debate on “Child responsive” urban planning and support the city’s cultural and tourism development strategy. The study highlights the advantages of the project, including a comprehensive view of specific problems and issues, a logical process to connect problems and solutions, and a reference matrix based on NUA principles. This research contributes to the development of tools and methodologies for NUA downscaling at the local level using innovative technologies and thematic components of urban design.