Tuff City

During the 1990s, Naples left-wing administration sought to tackle the citys infamous reputation of being poor, crime-ridden, chaotic and dirty by reclaiming the citys cultural and architectural heritage. This book examines the conflicts surrounding the reimaging and reordering of the citys historic centre through detailed case studies of two piazzas and a centro sociale, focusing on a series of issues that include heritage, decorum, security, pedestrianization, tourism, immigration and new forms of urban protest. This monograph is the first in-depth study of the complex transformations of one of Europes most fascinating and misunderstood cities. It represents a new critical approach to the questions of public space, citizenship and urban regeneration as well as a broader methodological critique of how we write about contemporary cities.