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Il nostro articolo esplora la relazione tra percorsi di inserimento dei migranti, politiche migratorie e dimensione/complessità dei contesti urbani. Sulla base di alcune ricerche da noi effettuate a Milano e a Desio, cercheremo di mettere in luce in che modo le differenze di scala tra città possano esercitare un ruolo decisivo rispetto alle modalità in cui il governo delle migrazioni si dispiega nel tempo

The article explores discourses, which, strongly marked by the association between immigration and security/safety issues, shape conflicts between groups in the urban spaces. More specifically, the article analyses daily interactions in a neighbourhood located in a semi-central area of the city of Milan and the discursive strategies of established Italian residents in dealing with neighbours, shopkeepers and public space users of immigrant origin. It focuses on the specific case of a small park which, claimed by the Italian residents in the neighbourhood, is currently a space of different activities by different groups and constitutes a core of an intergroup conflict. Referring to the existent Italian literature on the social construction of immigration as a problem related to security and urban safety issues, the article focuses on how such a discourse is produced and reproduced at the local level in established residents’ discourses and practices and their imagination/s of the community of ‘us’. While the article analyses how established residents account for the changes that have occurred in their area, discursive strategies about the nature of the place and its ‘legitimate’ users as well as social practices of appropriation and control are examined in order to show the interrelation between the processes of othering and place-identity making.

Starting from the literature on ethnic neighbourhoods as places of leisure and consumption in old immigration countries, the chapter analyzes the case of “Lazzaretto”, a multiethnic neighbourhood of Milan. Despite the presence of some pre-conditions highlighted by both theoretical and empirical studies, the transformation of Lazzaretto into an attractive ethnic neighbourhood is hindered by some political and cultural factors. Thanks to some in-depth interviews to local politicians and entrepreneurs we show the crucial role played by a general anti-immigrant climate, by local government’ lack of commitment towards multiculturalism and by some institutional constraints on the blossoming of immigrant businesses.

Las ciudades contemporáneas se caracterizan por la presencia de conflictos alrededor de la calidad de la vida, el control social del espacio, las relaciones entre las distintas poblaciones urbanas y la cohesión social de las comunidades locales. En ciertos casos esto puedo llevar a prácticas y discursos de exclusión hacia los que se perciben como otros, especialmente en relación a los los usos y apropiaciones de los espacios públicos. El artículo analiza, partiendo de datos etnográficos, la relación entre residentes de toda la vida e inmigrantes en la disputa sobre el uso de algunos espacios públicos en dos barrios de las ciudades de Milán y Barcelona. Poniendo de relieve como los residentes autóctonos enmarcan la presencia de los inmigrantes, el artículo reflexiona de forma comparativa sobre el papel de las autoridades locales en la gestión del espacio público y la convivencia entre grupos diferentes. Les ciutats contemporànies es caracteritzen per la presència de conflictes al voltant de la qualitat de vida, el control social de l'espai, les relacions entre les diverses poblacions urbanes i la cohesió social de les comunitats locals. En certs casos això pot portar a pràctiques i discursos d'exclusió cap als que es perceben com altres, especialment en relació als usos i apropiacions dels espais públics. L'article analitza, partint de dades etnogràfiques, la relació entre residents de tota la vida i immigrants, en la disputa sobre l'ús d'alguns espais públics en dos barris de les ciutats de Milà i Barcelona. Posant de relleu com els residents autòctons emmarquen la presència dels immigrants, l'article reflexiona de forma comparativa sobre el paper de les autoritats locals en la gestió de l'espai públic i la convivència entre grups diferents. Contemporary cities see the presence of conflicts around quality of life, social control of space, relations with different urban populations and the cohesion of local communities. In some cases this cal lead to practices and discourses of exclusion towards those that are perceived as “others”, specially in relation to the use and appropriation of public spaces. Moving from ethnographic data, the article analyses the relation between established residents and immigrants in the contention over the use of public spaces in two neighbourhoods in the city of Milan and Barcelona. Highlighting how "autochthonous" residents frame immigrants' presence, the article compares the role of local authorities in the management of public psace and the cohabitation between different groups.

The growing importance attributed to the local dimension of daily life in contemporary cities can, in some cases, lead to dynamics of exclusion of «others». In neighbourhoods, the different ways in which groups perceive, appropriate and use public space reveal the construction of an oppositions between «us» and «them». This article analyses the relation between established residents and immigrants in the dispute over the use of certain public spaces – a small park and a pedestrian street – in two neighbourhoods of Milan and Barcelona. It also reflects comparatively on the role played by local institutions in the management of public space and the cohabitation of different urban populations.