The Other Side of Illegal Housing. The Case of Southern Italy

Abstract

In the last decade, Italian territorial policies have become increasingly characterized by a broad laissez-faire approach, which negates the value and the importance of urban planning and of common goods.

The point of departure for the hypothesis formulate in this paper is the ascertainment of an assault on landscape and of an increase in soil consumption. The latter is closely related to the fluctuations of the property markets during the crisis, which are particularly acute in prime areas or in “legally difficult” areas. This tendency is particularly visible in Southern Italy, where economic development has been historically weak. There, the crisis has made some territories available for particularly remunerative real estate investments.

As a consequence, urban planning is seen as a hurdle to be overcome with derogations, agreement-based policies, public-private partnerships, housing plans, as well as with past and ongoing emergencies.

Data on coastal areas, cities, and towns shows an increase of soil consumption due to dwelling, which is in turn connected to the structural crisis of local public finances and to the connected depletion risk for high-quality landscapes and their identity.

Against this background, this paper looks at the other side of unauthorized development, i.e. on the housing stock which, for different reasons, has been legalized. In doing so, it suggests possible solutions for the complex issue of building amnesties.