Spaces of distinction, spaces of segregation. Nightlife and consumption in a central neighbourhood of Turin

Recent researches have underlined that, despite local specificities, the degree of residential segregation in Southern European cities is generally low, somehow conirming long time assumptions. This paper, however, argues that other forms of spatial segregation might be at work and should be taken into account to investigate social exclusion in daily life. Indeed, by considering not only where people have their home but also which urban spaces they use in their free time, the picture may change. In a frame, such as that of contemporary cities, where consumption has acquired a central role and is overloaded with multiple layers of social meanings, the emergence of landscapes of consumption catering for speciic segments of the urban population may play a key role in shaping new forms of exclusion. To develop this argument, the paper focuses on the city of Turin (Italy) and analyses the case of San Salvario, a central neighbourhood that, while being mixed in its demographic composition, presents patterns of segregation in the use and accessibility of public spaces, mainly due to the spatial disposition of spaces of consumption.