From company town to "reversed" company town: the firms' role in shaping the urban landscape. The case of Ivrea (Italy)

Abstract The paper focuses on the phenomenon of company towns. Despite the deep impact that firms have on urban landscapes, the existing urban planning/managerial literature lacks the proper consideration of this issue. To fill this gap, this paper sheds light on how firms shape urban landscapes through categorical values, building a different model of company towns. It analyses the case of Ivrea (Italy) as an interesting example of a ‘reversed’ company town, rooted in Olivetti's distinctive categorical values. The paper’s final remarks underscore the oft-hidden role of categorical values in shaping an urban landscape's tangible dimensions.