Perceived strong points and problems of living in Italian city centers, suburbs and small towns

The aim of this research was to ascertain which of three types of residential areas were perceived as more empowering by their inhabitants. We hypothesized that people living in the suburban neighborhood of a great city like Rome would perceive more problems and less strong points than those living in the center of the city or in small towns near Rome. We used the profiles analysis methodology to assess the community empowerment (Martini and Sequi 1994) of 140 neighbourhoods, through focus groups and community narratives, with 1500 residents. Results confirmed our hypothesis: people living in the suburbs of Roma reported more problems and interethnic conflicts than citizens of the other two settings. Residents in small towns and in the center of Rome had a higher sense of belonging to the community. The narratives produced by inhabitants of the suburbs included more episodes of violence and loneliness.