Ricerc@Sapienza

Even though they have been considered out of fashion for years in the mainstream public debate, research practices and urban policies, the peripheries of the big cities are still a problem in Italy. Due to the economic crises and its effects at the urban scale, especially in terms of urban poverty and social exclusion, the problems of these areas are clearly increased without appropriate tools.

The association between city size and productivity has been widely investigated in the academic literature. On the contrary, less is known about the link between city size and material living conditions. Recently, a strong emphasis has been put on the process of urbanization without growth and on the burst of large cities. The creation of slums and large areas with underdeveloped housing characteristics has become a major concern for urban planners. This is especially the case for developing economies.