Identity, conflicts and regeneration: Participatory processes in Bolognina district.

This paper discusses the outcomes of requalification and participation processes, which characterized Bolognina district,a former working-class neighbourhood situated in Bologna. The research main goal is to depict different points of view bymeans of semi-structured interviews and critical analysis of various participatory approaches supported by Bologna’s Municipality.In terms of theoretical references, we consider firstly the shift from government to governances and the consequentrole assumed by private actors and the civil society in contributing to urban planning and development. Our researchhas revealed a discontinuity between institutional discourses, their supported images and inhabitants’ different identities.Bolognina revitalisation emerges as an example about the contradictions embedded in urban regeneration plans, aimed topromote a specific exploitation of public and private urban spaces.

Keywords: participation, urban conflicts, regeneration, Bologna, Bolognina neighborhood.