Urban Regeneration and Social Mending Through Art: Evidence from a Mosaic-Based Educational Intervention in a Deprived Suburb of Rome

This study explores the role of arts-based educational interventions in fostering social mending and urban regeneration in disadvantaged urban contexts. The intervention consisted of participatory mosaic workshops designed to foster cooperation, inclusion, and civic engagement, culminating in the co-creation of public artworks installed in a degraded urban underpass and included 193 children aged 5–15 living in Tor Bella Monaca, a highly marginalized suburb of Rome (Italy). The analysis of the intervention used a mixed-methods approach, based on systematic observation, questionnaires, interviews, and document analysis. The findings indicate that the artistic process acted as a catalyst for both individual and collective transformation: at the individual level, participation enhanced relational skills, emotional expression, and sense of agency; at the community level, the intervention contributed to the reactivation of public space, increased social cohesion, and improved care for the urban environment. We interpret these outcomes through the capability approach, identifying art as a “conversion factor” linking individual capabilities to collective regeneration. The intervention aligns with SDGs 4, 10, 11, and 17 of the 2030 Agenda and supports the relevance of scalable, community-based models for inclusive and sustainable urban policies in deprived areas.