LIBRI DI GIAMPAOLO NUVOLATI

The article deals with the transformation of ethnic and multiethnic neighborhoods into tourist and commercial spaces, through the commodification of diversity: a phenomenon which is well known in traditional countries of immigration, but which is gaining importance in European countries as well. In the first part, relationships between immigrant groups and other urban populations are considered, underlying their extemporary characters, and the repulsion-attraction theme, linked to the topics of risk and Otherness. In the second part the duplicity of the discourse on ethnic identity is taken into consideration, as a frame in which immigrants and autochthons relations are structured. In the last part, the phenomenon is taken into account in a more analytical way, putting emphasis on its positive and negative effects, taking as examples different geographical contexts and migratory models.

Qualità sociale, qualità ambientale e qualità infrastrutturale sono le tre variabili necessarie per avere un “ambiente favorevole”, in grado di realizzare un equilibrio tra i luoghi di produzione del valore economico e le variabili esterne del contesto in cui essi si trovano e possono prosperare, generando la condizione fondamentale per lo sviluppo sostenibile di una comunità locale. Partendo da questo presupposto è stato organizzato il II Forum tematico della Brianza, di cui il libro è testimonianza.

Quality of life is a multidimensional concept that has been deeply analyzed during the last forty years. Many theoretical studies and empirical research have been performed in order to define and measure living conditions. However, new emerging paths need to be explored. These paths regard linkages existing between quality of life and other topics like: time, technology, sustainability, places identity, participation, urban regeneration and city marketing.

Modern cities are characterized by the presence of different populations: in-habitants, commuters, city users and businessmen, performing activities and using the cities in specific ways. This paper focuses on some issues related to the quan-titative and qualitative definition of such populations as well as on the description of other groups of individuals living and consuming in the city: flâneurs, in par-ticular. Some questions regarding the process of identification with places, the multiple roles of the mobile populations and the possible conflicts among different groups are briefly outlined.