Practices of appropriation in the contemporary city. Processes, places and imaginary
Contemporary cities seem to be characterised by new movements and self-organized initiatives that re/use and transform different parts of the city (in many cases marginal areas), by re-introducing them in the urban "life cycle": abandoned buildings and areas, green areas, public spaces. These very different experiences are connected to a variety of social spaces, actors and imageries. We are talking about the transformation of vacant spaces for residential purpose, the construction of informal community gardens, the new and unprecedented forms of squatter occupations, the wide spectrum of self-construction practices and so forth. In many cases these experiences can be considered as interstitial and marginal practices. But they can also be interpreted as a growing set of actions that are characterizing a more and more diffused way of urban construction.
