Urban imaginaries: from theory to grounding in urban studies

Abstract

From a starting point of the need to return to the concept of maginaries, this paper first reviews the various contributions to the genealogy of this concept that can he extractedfrom the social sciences and humanities. The paper then questions the relationship between imaginaries and space, revealing the close articulation between them from the very same conceptualization of imaginaries. Finally, the paper offers a brief review of the various studies of urban imaginaries, providing evidence of the differences between three approaches: the first dedicated to practices, the second representations and the third on the search for the articulation between practices and spatial experiences and lived spaces. Important themes that arise from these three approaches are the loss of the city, the impact of modernity on urban life, the new lifestyles linked to postmodernity and, finally, fear and the lack of security. The conclusions relate to perspectives from multiple disciplinary references, without underestimating the material dimensions of the city.

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