Public–Private Partnerships in Urban Regeneration Projects: The Italian Context and the Case of “Porta a Mare” in Livorno

Urban regeneration projects have been used in urban planning in different cities to recover strategic areas and combat new land consumption. Often, Public–Private Partnership (PPP) agreements are signed to meet the demands of these projects. In the Italian case, PPP arrangements can be one of three types, namely, contractual, institutionalized, and negotiable. Urban regeneration, in the Italian context, aims to increase the value of the existing infrastructure. Despite this, there are several obstacles to how these practices are developed, which demand more attention to be paid to the enabling environment and the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) that can improve the performance of these practices. Based on this, this study aims to analyze the Italian context of PPP arrangements in urban regeneration projects and the specific case of the Livorno “Porta a Mare”. To this end, the study adopts a previously established CSFs framework. The data analyzed are derived from secondary sources obtained through documentary collection and primary sources obtained through interviews. Regarding the PPP process, the results indicate the commitment of the public and private sectors, despite limitations in the selection process and the lack of public participation. Concerning urban regeneration, although not yet completed, the project allocates a significant area of waterfront to urban use.