Natural Commercial Centers: Regeneration Opportunities and Urban Challenges

Abstract:

In the history of European cities, public spaces always played a pivotal role, representing key places for developing social interactions and for enhancing the sense of community. Squares, commercial streets, market places as well as traditional retail and art-and-crafts areas can be considered the core of the city. The social, economic and demographic crisis and the loss of cultural identity has affected the capacity of attraction of local small retailers, giving the floor to the aggressive strategies of suburban shopping malls, centers, arcades or precinct, forming a complex of shops, movie theaters, restaurants and food courts with interconnecting walkways [. Typical expressions of a globalized economy, the different categories of suburban shopping mall have transformed behaviors and paths at a large scale [. One consequences can be identified in the loss of traditional commercial activities within the city centre, producing a situation of urban decline, mirrored by the impoverishment of public spaces [[. This paper suggests that, by activating the existing cultural and socio-economic capital it is possible to undertake a successful regeneration process based on a participative approach and on public and private integrated tools. By focussing on the experience of the Centri Commerciali Naturali (Natural Commercial Centres) established in Italy as partnership between Municipalities, cultural operators, public services providers and associations of shops owners to exploit the commercial activities in the historical centers the ongoing research is oriented to explore successful experiences of private-public partnership to be implemented in a regeneration process of areas traditionally dedicated to retail and art-and-craft small enterprises. The paper discusses the potentiality and the criticism of the NCC as engine for the redevelopment and regeneration of the inner city abandoned retail areas. In so doing, the experience developed in Campania (Southern Italy) will be analyzed in order to show how the activation of the social capital within the framework of the CCN could contribute in renovating the traditional commercial identity of the area, supporting the public spaces regeneration process. This paper aspires to offer useful insights to all those policy makers, city managers and planners who seek to revitalise traditional market areas in European city centres.

• Periodical: Advanced Engineering Forum (Volume 11)
• Pages: 392-401
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AEF.11.392
• Online since: June 2014
• Authors: Gabriella Esposito de Vita*, Stefania Ragozino
• Keywords: Natural Commercial Center, Retail Areas, Urban Regeneration

References

[1] R. Paparelli and M. Del Duca: Centri commerciali naturali. Strategia e strumenti di network marketing a servizio del commercio, del turismo e del terziario. Milano: Franco Angeli (2010).

[2] F. D. Moccia and A. Sgobbo: La polarizzazione metropolitana. L'evoluzione della rete della grande distribuzione verso un sistema policentrico sostenibile. Napoli: Liguori Editore (2013).

[3] S. Zukin: The Cultures of Cities. Oxford: Basil Blackwell (1995).

[4] A. Loukaitou-Sideris: Revisiting inner-city strips: A framework for community and economic development, Econ. Dev. Q., vol. 14, no. 2, (2000), p.165–181.

DOI: 10.1177/089124240001400204

[5] S. Halebsky: Superstores and the politics of retail development, City Community, vol. 3, no. 2, p.115–134, (2004).

DOI: 10.1111/j.1535-6841.2004.00072.x

[6] M. Lowe: The regional shopping centre in the inner city: a study of retail-led urban regeneration, Urban Stud., vol. 42, no. 3, (2005), p.449–470.

DOI: 10.1080/00420980500035139

[7] M. Sansone: Confronti metodologici , riflessioni critiche e proposte operative sul Marketing Urbano in ambito internazionale: focus sull'organizzazione e gestione dei Centri Commerciali Naturali in Italia, in Marketing Trends, 2007, vol. 58, no. (1996).

[8] J. Jacobs: The Death and Life of Great American Cities, vol. 71. (1961), p.458.

[9] R. Oldenburg: The great good place: Cafés, coffee shops, community centers, beauty parlors, general stores, bars, hangouts, and how they get you through the day. New York: Paragon House, (1989).

DOI: 10.1086/sharevv23n1p19

[10] L. Zanderighi: Town Centre Management: uno strumento innovativo per la valorizzazione del centro storico e del commercio urbano, Ind. Distrib., no. 2, (2001).

[11] S. Carr, M. Francis, L. G. Rivlin, and A. M. Stone: Needs in public space, in Public Space, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (1992).

[12] G. Esposito De Vita, C. Trillo, and S. Oppido: Rigenerazione degli spazi pubblici e centri commerciali naturali: il caso di Piazza Mercato e Borgo Orefici a Napoli, Planum, no. 26, (2013).

[13] K. Seidman: Inner-city commercial revitalization: A literature review, Boston (2004).

[14] B. Secchi: Un'urbanistica di spazi aperti, Casabella, vol. 597, no. 598, (1993), p.5.

[15] National Institute for Distribution and Services., [Online]. Information on http: /www. indisunioncamere. it.

[16] M. Cremaschi: Sul disagio urbano, Arch. di Stud. urbani e Reg., (2001).

[17] K. Chapple and R. Jacobus: Retail trade as a route to neighborhood revitalization, Urban Reg. policy its Eff., vol. 2, (2009), p.19–68.

[18] S. A. Sutton: Rethinking commercial revitalization: A neighborhood small business perspective, Econ. Dev. Q., vol. 24, no. 4, (2010), p.352–371.

DOI: 10.1177/0891242410370679

[19] J. A. Coca-Stefaniak, C. Parker, S. Quin, R. Rinaldi, and J. Byrom: Town centre management models: A European perspective, Cities, vol. 26, no. 2, (2009), p.74–80.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2008.12.001

[20] M. Ricci and P. Valentino: A focus on CCN in Italy: an integrated approach among urban renewal and PPP, in FIRST SCIENTIFIC REPORT 2012 CLUDs PROJECT - Economic Development Strategies. The role of Public Private Partnership, (2012).

[21] R. Atkinson: Addressing urban social exclusion through community involvement in urban regeneration, in Urban Renaissance? New Labour, Community and Urban Policy, Bristol: Policy Press, (2003), p.101–119.

DOI: 10.46692/9781847425706.006

[22] P. Avarello and M. Ricci: edited by, Politiche urbane: dai programmi complessi alle politiche integrate di sviluppo urbano, INU. Roma: INU (2000).

[23] A. Magnaghi: Il progetto locale. Torino: Bollati Boringhieri (2000).

[24] Information on http: /urbact. eu.

[25] S. Zamagni: L'economia del bene comune, vol. 3. Città nuova (2007).

[26] D. J. Wright: It takes a neighbourhood: Strategies to prevent urban decline. Rockefeller Institute (2001).

[27] A. W. Dyer: Credit access and urban regeneration in the United States, in FIRST SCIENTIFIC REPORT 2012 CLUDs PROJECT - Economic Development Strategies. The role of Public Private Partnership, (2012).

[28] Information on http: /www. cluds-7fp. unirc. it.

[29] Network CLUDs, FIRST SCIENTIFIC REPORT 2012 CLUDs PROJECT - Economic Development Strategies. The role of Public Private Partnership, (2012).

[30] A. Etzioni: The new golden rule: Community and morality in a democratic society. Basic Books (1996).

[31] B. Secchi: Prima lezione di urbanistica. Roma: Laterza (2002).

[32] J. B. Cullingworth: British land-use planning: a failure to cope with change?, Urban Stud., vol. 34, no. 5–6, (1997), p.945–960.

DOI: 10.1080/0042098975907

[33] G. Esposito De Vita, C. Trillo, C. Bevilacqua, and A. L. Schultz: Boosting the link between enterprises promotion and heritage valorisation: towards an integrated approach to urban regeneration and tourism development, in Competition and innovation in tourism: new challenges in an uncertain environment, A. Morvillo, edited by, Napoli: Enzo Albano Editore, (2012).

[34] R. K. Yin: Case study research: Design and methods, vol. 5. Londra: Sage (2009).

[35] G. Esposito De Vita, C. Bevilacqua, and C. Trillo: Improving Conviviality in Public Places: the case of Naples, Italy, " J. Civ. Eng. Archit., vol. 7, (2013), p.1209–1219.

DOI: 10.17265/1934-7359/2013.10.004