Hybrid landscapes. A methodology for mapping squatting

Abstract

This article explores the issue of urban informality in Southern Italy, proposing a research methodology aimed at initiating a census and mapping the phenomenon. This serves as a preliminary step toward the development of regeneration strategies. Informality is at the heart of a broad international debate, with efforts today focusing on recognizing it as a valuable new paradigm for contemporary cities (AlSayyad, 2004) and as a foundation for constructing a new epistemology of planning (Roy, 2005). In thecontext of Italy, specifically Southern Italy, the global phenomenon of informality takeson a unique local form—shaped by social, economic, morphological, and contextual factors.This requires an intervention model distinct from the approaches and experiments currently undertaken in the Global South. With this in mind, this article presents the           results of research conducted within the PhD program in Architecture at the University of Naples Federico II, titled “The Informal in the Landscapes of Illegal Construction: Latent Values and Transformations in Southern Italy.” The research proposes a shift in perspective, advocating for a proactive approach to the landscapes of illegal construction, rather than focusing solely on restrictive or emergency-driven measures. The case study focuses on the island of Ischia in Campania, taking advantage of the timely opportunity presented by drafting the island's post-earthquake reconstruction plan (PdRI).