Legitimization and conflict mediation, is social impact assessment ready? An exploratory Case study on urban regeneration in Italy

The purpose of this paper is to investigate, through the exploration of a case study, the role of Social Impact Assessment (SIA) within the context of urban regeneration. In particular, it focuses on impact evaluation with the social return on investment (SROI) method and its potential role as a conflict mediator. The case study selected is placed in Tuscany in northern Italy, and it represents a specific case of urban regeneration. The project is the regeneration of an abandoned factory for tourist accommodation, with the introduction of new road connections and the renovation of the green areas adjacent to the structure and around the port. The project being examined is in limbo, between the design and execution phases, because of the opposition of certain categories of stakeholders. The aim of this paper is to uncover the possible role that an SIA evaluation might play functioning as a base for comparison. The findings can be classified as follows: (a) Type and number of outcome areas identified for each project (55); (b) Number of indicators linked to each outcome (57); (c) Number of financial proxies identified (59), with annexed source and monetary values; (d) Type of outcome areas (hard, soft, and cashable); (e) Type and frequency of macro outcome areas (6); (f) Number of outcome areas for each macro outcome area identified; and (g) Social value and SROI of the case study. The research concludes with implications both for theory and practice, underpinning the role of SIA in complex multi-stakeholder processes and exploring the participatory and timing issues.