Naples

The role of social polarisation and social innovation in Naples was explored by Moulaert and colleagues in the course of the European projects SINGOCOM and URSPIC, which shed light on the socio-spatial dynamics that characterised the city. Social and spatial polarisation in Naples were found to be driven by rather different mechanisms to those found in Northern Europe, whilst large-scale urban development projects were driven less by neoliberal policy prescriptions than by “traditional” corporatist interests. Innovative projects had taken shape outside and in opposition to the local state and an extensive network of voluntary bodies played a role in tackling social exclusion. In publications based on this research, Moulaert and colleagues appeal to integrated and scale-sensitive approaches, arguing that localised forms of social innovation cannot lead to sustainable ways of satisfying basic needs unless they are accompanied by innovative policies, mobilisation and collective participation at higher levels.