IN-PERSON Lisbon Livable Cities. Section A
Abstract
The paper addresses the sociocultural transformations related to new urban tourism (Füller & Michel 2014) and due to the interference of sectoral digital platforms, whose sociotechnical dynamics and “vernacular affordances” (Gibbs et al. 2015) change the way of inhabiting urban spaces. Indeed, by (mis)representing the places, such platforms end up “selling off” cities, neighborhoods, and related local cultures (Stors & Baltes 2018; Romano et al. 2023). We are carrying out a qualitative research project in 3 decentralized Roman neighborhoods –Pigneto, San Lorenzo, Esquilino– whose “temporary population” (Brollo & Celata 2022) has been increasing, thus intensifying existing phenomena (gentrification, studentification, Smith 2005) and generating new ones (airbnbisation, foodification, Navarro-Jurado et al. 2023). We are combining in-depth interviews with digital co-design workshops, both carried out with locals, activists and stakeholders. The goal is to identify the neighborhoods’ most attractive cultural elements while promoting alternative, digitally mediated representations that sensitize to more conscientious temporary living. Preliminary results show that, although lacking iconic monuments, these areas garner cultural meanings that satisfy the quest for places that are (communicated and perceived as) more authentic and livelier than Rome’s historic center, affected by overtourism. A shared imaginary surrounds these neighborhoods, combining historical memory, artistic creativity, political progressivism, and the pleasantness of food and beverage. In the inhabitants’ experience, however, this is just another way of consuming places, no less ambiguous than traditional mass tourism. In this “branding operation”, sectoral digital platforms have played a pivotal role: they have “glittered” the locals’ routines while neglecting the actual livability conditions.
Stefania Parisi, Phd, is an Associate Professor at Sapienza University of Rome, where she teaches Sociology of Digital Media and Digital Media Studies. She is a member of the Doctoral Program in Communication, Social Research, and Marketing, and coordinates the research unit “Urban Space, Creativity, Media.” Her research focuses on the relationship between media and social structure, sociocultural transformations driven by digital platforms, the media-city nexus, and the evolution of the internet
Francesca Belotti (PhD) is Assistant Professor in Communication and Media Studies at the University of L’Aquila. Her research interests span from media activism to digital ageism and sexism, with an analytical focus on the mutual shaping between communication technologies, culture and society. With such a lens, she has also recently approached the field of studies on digitally mediated tourism, investigating the relationship between sectoral platforms and local cultures.
Milena Cassella (PhD) is Research Fellow in Sociology of Cultural and Communicative Processes at Sapienza University of Rome. Her research activities focus on the dynamics of production and network logics in cultural organisations. Her most recent publications address platform mediation in cultural production and design through crowdfunding in cultural and creative sectors. Currently, she deals with participatory pathways connected to cultural heritage and new urban tourism trends in urban destinations, with a focus on Rome.
Ellenrose Firth is a PhD student at Sapienza University of Rome in Communication and Social Research. Her research interests center around the algorithmic awareness of users of media sharing platforms – with particular emphasis placed on TikTok – and practices these users enact when interacting with said platforms.
Fabio Virgilio earned his Ph.D. in Communication, Social Research, and Marketing from Sapienza University of Rome. His research experiences are rooted in the field of digital platform studies, focusing on platform cooperativism applied to sustainable tourism. He currently works at CulTurMedia-Legacoop, where he coordinates research and intervention projects aimed at enhancing Italian cooperatives’ digital innovation and community involvement.
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Thursday 10th July, 2025