Piacenza? “It is a quiet, friendly city”, “with one of the best health services” and “which offers lots of work”, but it is also “empty and with few people” and “with few people of my age”. These are just some of the opinions of the young people involved in the research carried out by the Iress Institute of Bologna on behalf of the municipal administration.
YOUTH REPORT
The final report, entitled “Being young in Piacenza: visions, uses, desires. An action research on the condition of youth” was presented at the Open Laboratory of the former Carmine church by the Iress managers who conducted it: Marisa Anconelli, Rosella Piccini, Greta Nicodemi, Maria Rimondi and Anna Maria Bertazzoni. The young people interviewed were aged between 14 and 29. “The objective of the Administration was to listen to the young people of the city and it was a qualitative interview – explained Anconelli – with nine focus groups which in total included around eighty girls and boys found thanks to the support of schools, voluntary associations and parishes.
young interviews
About forty interviews were born, we found that the young people involved wanted to express their thoughts and that they experience the city, the places, expressing thoughts and demonstrating a great attachment towards Piacenza. Their visions of what it should be have had a lot of space and for many this is a city where people live well, others consider it positively but they see themselves far from this type of territory in the future, as is normal. We wanted to see where they usually are and what kind of places they live, it emerged that when excellent events are organized specifically for young people then these kids appreciate them.” Some examples are the Alley Oop or the Grill Contest. A critical issue? “They would obviously like more and that they are suitable for an audience of their age, because it has also emerged that when kids grow up and have access to a car then they take advantage of it to go outside Piacenza”.
