Youth and Urban Citizenship: The ‘Youth Gang’ Phenomenon Between Confict and Democratic Innovation

Problematizing the idea of cities as neutral and unproblematic spaces, the chapter discusses how social hierarchies and conflicts between different ideas of citizenships are embedded in the physical and symbolic elements of urban contexts. Looking specifically at young people as a marginal urban population, the chapter argues that adult-centric ideas shaping city planning and urban policies limit young individuals’ right to the city through a marginalisation and stigmatization of their presence and practices in the public space. These premises are developed through the analysis of the emerging phenomenon of the so-called ‘youth gangs’, a catchy label used by the media and capable of orienting public debate. The chapter looks at a series of youth conflictual practices that are often labelled as ‘youth gang actions’ as claims of belonging and recognition expressed by marginalized segments of the youth population, reflects on the risks of radicalization connected to the adoption of stigmatizing and criminalizing approaches and discusses the opportunity of recognizing these practices’ potential for urban transformation.