Abstract

In the areas nearby the railway stations some trends that are found in contemporary cities are particularly present, such as an increasing complexity and diversity linked to national origin, social status and lifestyles; social fragmentation; increase of social exclusion; creation of material and symbolic borders between different social groups. The paper analyzes these aspects with reference to the neighborhoods surrounding the railway stations of Padua and Mestre. The analysis consists of three main parts: 1. the description, with the help of some background data, of the main urban populations present in these areas and of the reasons for their presence; 2. the elements that open conflict between these different populations and the problems they encounter in these urban areas; 3. finally, the analysis of the projects and initiatives implemented in the districts by the various actors who make up the local policy network, and of their effects on the territory and local society.