Direct action placemaking: transgressive interventions on the margins of Rome

This paper analyzes overlaps and relationships between informality, transgression, and direct action by juxtaposing two recent examples of activist placemaking in Rome: the creation of the Kurdish cultural center Ararat and the construction of Savorengo Ker, a short-lived example of dignified housing for a Roma community. Both case studies are dedicated to a building and its transformative power for the surrounding area as well as for the status of the groups involved in the creative process. Both projects were initiated by the Italian collective Stalker, which has developed a practice on the border between art, architecture, and urban activism since the 1990s. By exploring the unstable circumstances of these initiatives, the research offers insights into the complex implications of making places through informal and transgressive means. Ultimately, the case studies demonstrate the potential of informal tactics to empower underprivileged groups and suggest a new role for planners and designers.