Peripheral Journeys: Youth Mobility, Urban Margins and Social Inequality in Naples
Authors
Stud. Domenico Salvatore GALLUCCIO, Department of Social Sciences, The University of Naples Federico II, Italy
Stud. Luca AMATO, Department of Social Sciences, The University of Naples Federico II, Italy
Alessio CRISCUOLO, Department of Social Sciences, The University of Naples Federico II, Italy
Francesco DE NIGRIS, Department of Law, University of Naples Federico II, Italy; Amsterdam Law School, University of
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Emanuele Mauro ABRIOLA, Department of Social Sciences, The University of Naples Federico II, Italy
Abstract
In Naples, Italy, the urban traffic crisis is not merely a technical or infrastructural issue it is a
multidimensional social phenomenon that reflects and reinforces existing inequalities in education, access,
and opportunity. Among the most affected populations are students living in peripheral urban areas, who
face long, fragmented, and often unpredictable commutes to reach educational institutions across the city.
This sociological study adopts a qualitative methodology based on semi- structured interviews and field
observations to investigate the everyday mobility experiences of high school and university students in
Naples. The aim is to explore how transport inefficiencies shape young people’s educational trajectories,
emotional well-being, and spatial perceptions of the city. As Salmieri (2019) points out, youth mobility in
Naples is both constrained by systemic barriers and animated by informal strategies ofadaptation and social
navigation. Recent research on student choices in the Campania region of southern Italy confirms that
mobility patterns are significantly shaped by socio-economic background and urban geography (Santelli et
al., 2022; Rondinelli et al., 2024). The findings of this study complement this literature by highlighting
students’ lived experiences, their everyday forms of resilience, and the structural limitations of current urban
transport policies. Drawing on the concepts of spatial justice (Soja, 2010) and the right to the city (Lefebvre,
1968), the paper argues that access to education in Naples is mediated by mobility systems that often
exclude rather than include. For many students, public transport becomes a space where inequalities are
not only experienced but reproduced, challenging their full participation in urban life. This contribution
advocates for mobility planning that transcends technocratic approaches by embedding citizens’ lived
experiences into inclusive, participatory, and socially resilient urban strategies. While rooted in the specific
case of Naples, the study reflects broader tensions within Euro-Mediterranean urban contexts, where spatial
fragmentation and uneven infrastructure continue to shape the daily geographies of opportunity and
exclusion.
Keywords
Right to the city, peripheries, youth mobility, spatial justice, urban inequality
