Complexity and safety planning in urban green areas: guidelines drawn from the SETUP project and testing of an operational toolkit applied to the Real Bosco di Capodimonte

The contribution is framed within the regulatory and methodological context that interprets urban safety as a component of the overall quality of public space. The UNI/PdR 48:2018 standard defines safety as a public good linked to livability and social cohesion, while tools such as the ITACA Protocol and the Toolkit Gender in Major Urban Initiatives highlight the role of spatial design in creating accessible, inclusive, and safe environments. Within this perspective, safety is not understood as a device of control, but as a systemic outcome of the physical, social, and perceptual quality of places. In the debate on sustainable cities, large urban parks are increasingly regarded as complex territorial infrastructures capable of integrating environmental and social functions and mediating between natural systems and the urban fabric. Their effectiveness depends on their accessibility and everyday use, framing safety as a relational phenomenon linked to the vitality of activities and the continuity of connections. This paper summarizes both the guidelines drawn from the Naples case study of the SETUP project, where the analysis of pilot cases allowed us to identify the macro-categories of indicators that most influence the perception of insecurity, such as maintenance, attractiveness of spaces, visibility and surveillance, spatial layout and orientation, and the application of safety toolkit. Within this framework, the Real Bosco di Capodimonte is adopted as an experimental laboratory for the development of operational guidelines on safety in urban green spaces. Interpreted as a multilayered organism and a key node within the metropolitan ecological network, the park is investigated through a multilevel approach integrating spatial analysis, perceptual reading, and design strategies, supported by tools such as SWOT analysis, sentiment analysis, and crime mapping. The operational outcome is an experimental Toolkit structured into thematic design sheets that translate theoretical principles into concrete actions along three main directions — reconnect, reactivate, redesign — addressing accessibility, mobility, lighting, services, and green management. The resulting operational guidelines outline a replicable model for other large urban parks, based on an adaptive process oriented toward the quality of contemporary urban livability.