Camilla GIANTOMASSO, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Despite the considerable amount of studies aimed at tracing the causes that trigger gentrification
processes, little is still known about the socio-territorial dynamics that affect neighborhoods during the
transition phase. In fact, the common mistake is to consider gentrification as a static phenomenon,
forgetting that different forces coexist within it and act in neighborhoods, continually redefining them.
The relational reading of gentrification, on the basis of the territorialist approach and the methodological
suggestions of non-representational theory, seems suitable for understanding the social interactions that
unfold in gentrified contexts and the way in which such practices redefine both the meaning and the sense
of places. The adoption of a relational interpretative framework, modeled on both the above mentioned
approaches, allows not only to consider the space as an active operator of socio-cultural dynamics, but also
to think of gentrification as a territorial connotation, not necessarily negative, which takes shape from the
relationships that the social actors involved establish with the territory in which they operate.
This presentation reports the results of a research project, funded by Sapienza University of Rome, aimed
at examining the urban renewal that has affected the Roman district of Pigneto in recent years. Located
close to the historic center and the main road axes of the eastern sector of the city, the Pigneto is a semi-
central district that in terms of rent gap has developed the ideal conditions for starting gentrification
processes. The project in question, precisely, intends to understand the urban and housing transformations
of the neighborhood, reconstructing their essential stages through the testimonies, opinions and
experiences of local actors, stakeholders and city users.
Mots clés : gentrification|Rome|territorialist approach|non-representational theory|Pigneto district
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