Urban Microspaces: Between the Figurative and Operative. Methodological Analysis Framework

This paper explores the concept of urban microspaces, arguing through a dedicated interdisciplinary reading, the need to define an integrate methodological framework for their analysis, given that micro-spaces are not distinctly addressed in urbanism, not recognized as a separate category. Although ubiquitous in daily life, these spaces are underestimated in recent research, often relegated to a lateral, residual perception. Starting from several well- known theories from various perspectives in the field of psychogeography, sociology (Malpas, 2018; Lefebvre, 1991; de Certeau, 1974), sensory architecture, (Pallasmaa, 2005), and drawing on revisiting concepts from the theory of the secondary (Nemoianu, 1997) as well as considerations on various categories of heterogeneous and typologically uncertain spaces (Hall, 1969; Cupers & Miessen, 2002), the work highlighting the nuanced relationship between the physical framework of the city, and the layer of (figurative) perception and (operative memory), both involved in city experience process.

The study supports the idea that urban microspaces, often neglected, and considered in negative terms are very useful in the co-participative planning processes of the city. Perceived liminally or accidentally in the city experience, microspaces become important as indispensable support and binding spaces of the urban structure, catalyzing informal social interactions, which in turn form the basis of the diversity and inclusion of urban life. Viewed as a whole, the network of urban microspaces (Morelli and Privitera, 2022) demonstrates their power to contribute to renewing residents’ sense of belonging to places and to improve the quality of urban life.