The presence of LabSU in a ‘Temporary’ Housing Assistance Centre. From an institutional collaboration to some interdisciplinary reflections

The research paper details the collaborative effort of the LabSU (Laboratory of Urban Studies-DICEA, Sapienza University of Rome) with the City of Rome to address urban, housing and social issues through interdisciplinary research. The field of investigation is the Roman area of Bastogi, a complex that serves as a Public Temporary Housing Assistance Centre (CAAT). Over the years, Bastogi’s inhabitants have become increasingly marginalized, with a mix of authorized ‘temporary’ residents, squatters with residency, and squatters without residency. This, combined with a chronic housing crisis and segregating management of the city’s poorest, has led to social fragmentation, various forms of vulnerability and territorial stigma. The paper illustrates the involvement of the LabSU research group in mapping local stakeholders and providing recommendations for urban and social regeneration of the area. Finally, the author, starting from an anthropological perspective, reflects on his contribution within an interdisciplinary group in both methodological and epistemological terms.