Quo vadis, city? Residents’ perception of the lockdown during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in two districts in Rome

Abstract

ABSTRACT The global COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns have had a significant impact on urban areas and their residents. We study the public perception of the lockdown measures during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in two socially and spatially different districts in Rome: Sallustiano and Centocelle. We answer two research questions: Was the public perception of the lockdown homogeneous or differentiated within each district and between the two selected districts? How did the residents in these two districts perceive the lockdown measures? We conducted a literature review, 30 individual in-depth interviews, and an ethnographic walk. We find that the perception of the lockdown in the two socially and spatially different districts was homogeneous overall, yet there were some differences. Respondents who lived in Sallustiano, a central and higher-income district, exhibited slightly more positive attitudes towards lockdown measures compared to the respondents in the peripheral and lower-income Centocelle district who exhibited slightly more negative attitudes towards the lockdown measures. The respondents in Centocello perceived an increase in reciprocal neighborly assistance and social solidarity compared to the respondents in Sallustiano, where the individualistic character of social life prevailed. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown sparked more social conflicts in Centocello than in Sallustiano. We also find that many respondents perceived the lockdown measures as necessary, even though they caused social and economic challenges.