Marginal populations and practices in the city

Marginal practices are at odds with the strong assertion of business interests in the management and regulation of public spaces, for example through “business improvement districts”. The centres of large cities are also undergoing distinct gentrification that eats away at the spaces where marginal populations and practices could usually find a place.

These two trends, amongst others, call into question once more the right to the city.

The Chair studies these issues by looking at the “normalization” of behaviours and practices in public spaces. One of the ways these policies materialize is through the installation of deterring urban furniture, the application of constraining rules or the constitution of new trades such as “atmosphere agents”.

Heads of research : Laurette Wittner, Fabrice Bardet