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The contestation of space in Milan's Chinatown1

This paper looks at the transformation of Milan's Chinatown in the years following the April 2007 revolts and how these changes have been affected by conflicting interests. More specifically, I look at the political economy of urban space and the role of Chinatown in the dynamics of urban restructuring in Milan. Milan's Chinatown today is neither a Chinese residential area, nor a tourist district; rather, it is an ethnic economic and commercial enclave in a gentrified area near the city centre, where businesses owned by Italians and foreign nationals coexist. Since the revolts, Chinatown has become an increasingly contested space characterised by the presence of conflicting agendas. On the one hand, Italian businesses, the autochthonous population and local authorities regard Chinatown as a ‘problem’ and have attempted to reclaim the area. On the other hand, Chinese retailers and workers claim the right to use this urban space and carry out their businesses.