Contemporary societies have been strongly characterized by the emersion of hybrid economies, which in several cases, through making, pursue goals of urban regeneration and social engagement. Recently, the Municipality of Milan has started to be interested in several hybrid and collaborative experiences, focused on: 1) the creation of local markets; 2) the revitalization of peripheral areas; 3) the engagement and its inhabitants. This paper presents the first step of a collaborative study developed by the School of Design of Politecnico di Milano and the Institute of Design of IIT of Chicago within the Sister Cities policy program. The results of preliminary research activities, which wanted to investigate the relationship between design, manufacturing and social inclusion will be presented. The main focus will be on the actual and potential role of design within these hybrid activities with a particular attention to its capabilities to support the creation/acquisition of Social Capital both at individuals andterritorial levels.