Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
fest itself in a corresponding physical space. in borghesiana, the only places to
meet are certain people's houses or some very rare bars. in some ways, even the
public dimension became privatized. This dimension was limited but important;
however, it later faded away with the younger generations who had not experi-
enced that epic phase and with the increase of unlawful building that was mainly
speculative.
in some more restricted circumstances, either because people originated
from the same places, or because of the enterprise and leadership of more sensi-
tive people or for other reasons, there was a more collaborative spirit that led to
the creation of infrastructures, spaces, and communal facilities, even if totally
self-built and self-managed. for example, in Cerquette Grandi, people created,
among other things, a sports and recreation center (with a football training pitch,
other playing fields, changing rooms, picnic sites, etc.), a park in the nearby ra-
vine with footpaths and poster art, and a photovoltaic field that supplies energy
to the borgata.
in most cases, and in the most extended areas of illegal building in Rome,
there nevertheless prevails a style of living that is strongly focused on the private
dimension, entailing a reduction of the depth and complexity of social living.
This style of living was probably never dreamed of by the first residents, but it
became entrenched and became the only form of living imaginable there to the
young people and the more recently arrived residents (while those with expe-
rience outside these areas have tended to move away). The younger generation
lack spaces, facilities, and things to do in their spare time and are thus obliged
to go away and spend their time in the nearest shopping malls that offer amuse-
ment, distractions, and somewhere to hang out. These are all very basic and ho-
mogenizing activities, but at least they are opportunities for leisure that are geo-
graphically and financially accessible. at the weekend, especially on saturdays,
the whole family spends an entire day in the nearest shopping mall.
unlawful building is to all intents and purposes an acknowledged and ac-
cepted modality (as well as a spontaneous process) in the construction of Rome:
it is functional in its development and forms a part of the very nature of the city
and its mode of governance. one could say that it is a widespread form of social
behavior and a culture that is typical of Rome, as is testified above all by the
spread and importance of these developments but also by the legal system and
measures taken by the administration.6 The administration is aware of all this,
accepts the process, has a policy for it, regards it as an integral part of building a
city, and aims at intensive cooperation with the private sector. from such a per-
spective, we may find it difficult to regard Rome as a modern western capital, but
at the same time, we ought to question more closely what we mean by a western
capitalist city. Rome represents, even if in a “degraded” form, the expression of
a “predatory” capitalism that stops at nothing and demands deregulation, indis-
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