Illegali ma legittimi. Ridiscutere criteri e distinguo per una urbanistica di posizione

This contribution examines the positioning of those engaging in action-research practices within marginalized contexts. To do so, it builds a reflection based on the case of Quarticciolo, a historic borgata on the outskirts of Rome, and the network of self-organised initiatives that animate it. In this context, a small Neighborhood Laboratory was also established within the LabSU framework. While aiming to bridge the gap between local institutions and grassroots initiatives, the Laboratory identified the aforementioned network as a local actor whose vision it shares and whose processes it seeks to support, regardless of the illegal or borderline legal nature of many of the actions characterizing the network. The article reflects on the criteria and distinctions necessary to recognize the generativity of a territorial actor and identifies the following elements: the ability to recognize the local needs and organise an initial response to them; the alignment of one’s interests with those of a broader community; the potential to empower, enhancing both individual and collective capabilities; a self-reflective (and self-critical) posture; and a forward-thinking perspective. In a historical moment when legality has become a semantic framework for public intervention, the article argues for the need to reclaim the emancipatory role of the discipline, advocating for the revival of a positioned urban planning.