Socio-spatial Inequalities in Urban Peripheries: The Case of Italy

Over recent decades, the geography of peripheral areas in Italy has changed radically with respect to the breakdown of the traditional form of urbanization processes. In this scenario, the chapter will consider the relationship between peripheral conditions and the growth of socio-spatial inequalities in Italian cities and in general across Italy. Before beginning to consider this relationship, we must first place the theme in the context of the process of growing divergence between the country’s regions, but also between neighbourhoods and areas within the same urban context. The chapter will analyse studies and research into the connection between inequalities, social fragilities, and different dimensions of socio-spatial polarization in Italian cities, proposing a multidimensional approach. The approach will consider socioeconomic variables alongside historical, physical and symbolic dimensions, useful for promoting an approach mindful of places and narratives.