[The new territorial configuration of L'Aquila (Central Italy) after the 2009 earthquake and places and behaviours changes of everyday life]

Abstract

Since 2010, the Cartolab Laboratory research team (Department of Human Studies, University of L'Aquila) has been investigating the social geography in the post-earthquake period through the analysis of the territorial changes and new sociospatial configurations occurred in the everyday life of the L'Aquila inhabitants. Accordingly, this paper aims to describe the principal results of researches concentrating on the use of leisure time and leisure places in the post-disaster period in L'Aquila. The paper uses an action-research/participating- participatory (RAPP) methodology. The paper presents the monitored changes occurred in leisure time and places, and compares them with the conditions before the earthquake. Primary data have been retrieved by surveys and interviews. Results indicate that acceleration of fragmentation and dispersion of inhabitants are the main characteristics of the new sociospatial configuration in the post-disaster period in L'Aquila.