Cittadinanze sospese e diritto alla cittá: suspended citizenship and the right to the city

Abstract

The central topic of this paper is the complex relationship between migrants and the global city, which has created a strong hypermobility of goods and people. There are new actors in the urbane scene: immigrants provide labor in many areas, but they are particularly invisible at the main decision-making levels, especially in those concerning the city design. They are subjected to discrimination: first of all as city users and also as proponents of urban and architectural projects. Our cities are not able to answer the "supply of city" of those who live in, that means they do not fully answer to the people needs and desires. Consequently, the weakest and most vulnerable citizens don’t fully enjoy their right to the city. This right has been presented by Henri Lefebvre around the 70s. According to the French sociologist everyone should enjoy the "right to urban life", that is the possibility to satisfy their aspirations in terms of political, social and environmental impacts in the city.