La territorializzazione spontanea del centro storico: il caso di Viterbo

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to reflect on two major trends concerning the urban development of the city of Viterbo, neither of which appears to stem from a precise urban policy. The first one was the depopulation and progressive decline of the ancient city centre caused by the relocation of the inhabitants towards the new council housing settlements and especially towards the countless new villas, originally intended as farm houses on agricultural land adjacent to the city. The second one, still ongoing, is an opposite trend, the result of profound changes in the social fabric of the society and of the present economic stagnation. Many unoccupied and neglected houses and flats in the city centre are appealing to people with limited financial means, in spite of the lack of upgrading. In addition, basements and cellars are being converted into actual housing units. The needs of the abovementioned people have triggered a new territorialisation of the historic centre. It is yet to be determined to what extent this phenomenon has been contemplated and understood, and whether the rise of such a uniform social fabric should be construed as positive for the general socioeconomic balance, of which the housing issue is only one of the factors.