Title: The fluidity of social sustainability in spaces of movement: the case of the art stations in Naples, Italy

Authors: Silvia Gullino

Addresses: Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, School of Surveying and Planning, Kingston University London, Penrhyn Road, Kingston, KT1 2EE, UK

Abstract: Drawing on Amin and Thrift’s (2002) sense of cities as spaces of movement, flow and everyday practices, in this paper I suggest a broadening of investigation of social sustainability from spaces of community to urban spaces of movement by looking at everyday, ordinary spaces like train stations. I will argue that these places, defined by the routine movement and mobility of its users, are significant in providing important insights to an (overlooked) element of social sustainability, in particular by emphasising more momentary and fleeting conditions of this social dimension. I conclude by suggesting that the focus on areas of connection can add new dimensions to our current understandings of social sustainability and that these have significant implications for the making of urban places.

Keywords: everyday life; spaces of movement; social sustainability; fluidity; Ash Amin; Nigel Thrift; art stations; Naples; Italy; flow; everyday practices; community spaces; urban space; ordinary spaces; train stations; routine movement; mobility; momentary conditions; fleeting conditions; connections; urban places; cities; public art; underground railways; Art Metro; Metronapoli; planning; sustainable society; sustainable development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSOC.2011.043640

International Journal of Sustainable Society, 2011 Vol.3 No.4, pp.414 - 430

Published online: 08 Apr 2015 *

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