Volume 5 issue 1 february 2018
The City, Between Innen and Aussen: The Revolution of the Horizontal Subsidiarity Principle in Italy
ENRICA ROCCA
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From its roots, the city has been overwhelmingly regulated by external entities: the legal norms which shape the city and define our conceptions of how it should be governed are created by an external body. The dichotomy of Innen and Aussen, which here retain the native German meaning of ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ and as applied in the field of architecture, represents the juxtaposition between the private dimension—one’s home—and the public one—the city, perceived as the ‘other’. When dealing with the effectiveness of rules, adopting a focus on private, self-interest— ‘think of yourself’—is more effective for increasing the level of behavioural compliance. It confirms the need to involve oneself when trying to instigate self-regulatory action, but which selfsurveillance cues are more effective than cues implying external surveillance? What if, with a diametrically opposed approach, from a limiting tool from outside to inside, we start to shape the city from inside to outside using the concept of Innen in relation to our city? This article focuses on the potential of this shift of perspectives by considering the cracks between law and social behavioural studies, including the discipline of nudges. The impact of everyday citizens’ decisions are considered with particular focus on environmental issues. Finally, Labsus (the Laboratory for Subsidiarity), a phenomenon which is taking place in the entire Italian peninsula which promotes horizontal subsidiarity, social awareness and a kind of re-appropriation of the city, will also be analysed.
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