Urban cultural maps. Condividere, partecipare, trasformare l'urbano

The purpose of this article is to analyze the development of the district of San Berillo in Catania through the theory and methodological tools of urban anthropology. This district is situated in the historical city centre and was the target of a big urban transformation project that has changed the old space configuration, transforming its physical and cultural identity. Today San Berillo is involved in a new regeneration project that is devoted to the development of new economic and social activities, and to the requalification of the district urban configuration. This article analyzes the use of the space in San Berillo and the social representations produced by its inhabitants and city-users. The aim is to understand those social practices that define local identities and the cultural belonging in this area as well as the transformations of the neighbourhood in the last decades. I will describe an intervention project called Urban Cultural Maps carried on during the year 2012 in San Berillo. The project was based on the collaboration of district inhabitants in the production of the so called “parish maps”, through a process of participation and sharing ideas. I will then illustrate the diverse perceptions and representations of new and old inhabitants. At the end of the paper I will introduce a brief reflection on how these local representations and perceptions of the space can interact with the current requalification plans in San Berillo.