La question des périphéries métropolitaines

This chapter addresses how the recent crises have revealed a particular fragility of the urban peripheries in Southern Europe and the ambivalence of the policies implemented towards them. First, it analyses the notion of periphery, which not only refers to the idea of socio-spatial inequalities but is also polysemic. Beyond the diversity of morphological and social markers that can define it, the notion of periphery can be usefully approached through the notion of vulnerability, which refers in particular to the idea of public policy failure. Secondly, the chapter focuses on the asymmetry of urban regeneration policies implemented in this area: while “top-down” policies are less systematic and institutionalized than in Northern Europe, “bottom-up” policies are more present. The chapter deals with these different elements through the case studies of Rome, Catania, Athens, and Barcelona.