The nearby city: culture, relations and urban policies beyond the rhetoric of the «15-minute city»

In recent years, the concept of proximity has gained centrality in urban policy discourse, often associated with the «15-minute city» paradigm. However, this article argues for a broader and more complex understanding of proximity, not as a matter of spatial distance or functional accessibility, but as a cultural and relational infrastructure that enables civic life. Drawing on the cases of Corviale and Tor Bella Monaca in Rome, this paper explores how urban peripheries – often marked by social fragility and symbolic marginalisation – can become sites of co-production and care through cultural practices, local networks and participatory policies. The urban experience promoted through Rome’s Integrated Urban Programs (PUI) and civic hubs funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) suggests a shift from urban regeneration to civic care, where proximity is redefined as a practice of recognition, co-presence and social justice. The contribution combines theoretical insights from relational urbanism, biopolitics and cultural geography, with a focus on infrastructure as a space for meaning making and inclusion.