Spatial Strategies for Improving Conviviality in Public Places: The Case of the Historical Goldsmith and Textile Artisanal Market Area of Città Bassa in Naples

Abstract

This paper addresses the decline of public places in deprived urban areas, contrasting it with the privatisation and overdevelopment of public and quasi-public places in affluent districts. It explores how the rehabilitation of traditional market areas can foster conviviality, liveability, and socio-cultural diversity. Using a qualitative methodology, the research examines the historical Piazza Mercato and its neighbourhood in Città Bassa, Naples, within the framework of the CTUR and HerO projects under the URBACT II Programme. The study argues that traditional retailers are essential for sustaining vibrant public spaces and should be central to conservation and redevelopment strategies. Through stakeholder engagement, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups, a revitalisation strategy was developed, aimed at countering the abandonment of public spaces and avoiding the rise of anonymous, globalised commercial districts. The research provides tools and approaches that can be applied in European cities with historic centres facing challenges of isolation and gentrification.