Who is entitled for the recognition of public right in the urban domain? A perspective from the southern Italian context

Who has the right of access to public space of the city and what are the limits to this access varies depending on the circumstances: the shift between the public and private sphere, the economic- institutional system, laws and planning tools. If many scholars focus on relational values of public/political spaces, the sphere of public facilities is a central issue. In Italy this issue is ruled by an ancient national law, aimed at ensuring minimum collective rights, the so-called urban standards as mandatory quantity of areas to locate within the municipal plans. Although many regions of Northern Italy have satisfied and raised this standard, the southern areas remain in a situation of severe shortage. This lacking of equipment, during the long period of economic crisis, affects mainly the disadvantaged groups of the population. Although the urban standards fail to intercept the multiplicity of services required by the plurality of social groups, the expansion of the public/private partnership does not ensure the creation of truly inclusive spaces and of higher quality. Even new national bill on urban regeneration appears unfair. Subjugated by hegemonic interests, it raises questions of planning responsibility with respect to population groups that are most easily excluded, not possessing negotiable values such as property rights or stable incomes. New issues are arising from legislation proposal involving the equality between owners rather than distribution. These approaches lead to rethink on public responsibility and ability of judgment, depending on the geographical context, and economic-political and bureaucratic system of reference, on the basis of Arendt’s thought.