Caterina Benincasa, art historian, is founder of Polyhedra (a nonprofit organization focused on the relationship between art and science) and of the Innovate Heritage project aimed at a wide exchange of ideas and experience among scholars, artists and pratictioners. She lives in Berlin.
Gianfranco Neri, architect, teaches Architectural and Urban Composition at Reggio Calabria "Mediterranea" University, where he directs the Department of Art and Territory. He extensively publishes books and articles on issues related to architectural projects. In 2005 he has been awarded the first prize in the international competition for a nursery in Rome.
Michele Trimarchi (PhD), economist, teaches Public Economics (Catanzaro) and Cultural Economics (Bologna). He coordinates the Lateral Thinking Lab (IED Rome), is member of the editoral board of Creative Industries Journal and of the international council of the Creative Industries Federation.

Frontmatter 1
Content 5
FOREWORD 7
INTRODUCTION: URBAN CHALLENGES, CULTURAL STRATEGIES, SOCIAL VALUES 9
DOES PUBLIC ART MATTER? A SOCRATIC EXPLORATION 15
ART AND TERRITORIAL CHANGES IN THE ITALIAN EXPERIENCE 37
CULTURE MEETS ECOLOGY IN THE PUBLIC SPACE. 'TRIUMPHS AND LAMENTS' ON THE TIBER 49
BUILT HERITAGE AND MULTIPLE IDENTITIES IN MUMBAI. MATERIAL CULTURE AND CONSERVATION PRACTICES 69
THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE IN INTERNATIONAL DEBATE ON URBAN SOCIETIES' CHANGES 83
NEW MAPS FOR THE DESIRES OF AN EMERGING WORLD 101
ENTERING THE VOID. DIALOGUES ON ART AND URBANITY 127
ART AS A SOCIAL PERFORMANCE IN TRANS -MEDIA CITIES 163
DEACCESSIONING AND RE-LOCATING. NEW OPTIONS FOR MUSEUMS 181
PUBLIC SPACE AND ITS CHALLENGES. A PALIMPSEST FOR URBAN COMMONS 191
FOR A CULTURE OF URBAN COMMONS. PRACTICES AND POLICIES 205
About the authors 245