Roberto Sciarelli

Roberto Sciarelli is a Research Fellow at the Department of Humanities, University of Catania, specializing in political ecology with a focus on socio-environmental conflicts and urban commoning processes in Southern Italy. His research is currently supported through the PRIN 2022 project 'JUSTAINABILITY Just sustainability. Rhizomatic social innovations, transformative knowledge, and prefigurative practices for a just transition.'

• Scientific Director: Salvo TORRE
• Current research project: 'Collective knowledge in environmental conflicts. Transformative and prefigurative practices for a just transition'
• Former affiliation: Centro de Estudos Sociais (University of Coimbra)

Sciarelli's research centers on grassroots movements and community practices in Naples, particularly examining the Bagnoli neighborhood and the Scugnizzo Liberato community. His work bridges academic research with activist practice, exploring how subaltern communities navigate environmental crises while creating alternative democratic spaces. His research interests include political ecology of the subaltern, urban commons, community care practices, and just transition frameworks.

His publication record demonstrates consistent output across multiple disciplines, with recent articles appearing in journals such as Urban Studies, Ambiente & Sociedade, and ephemera. His work reveals a strong thematic focus on how marginalized communities in Southern Italy are developing prefigurative practices that challenge traditional developmental models while creating sustainable alternatives rooted in commoning processes. His publications often analyze specific case studies from Naples, particularly the Bagnoli neighborhood's resistance to environmental disaster and the creation of urban commons.

• 2024: Traces of Political Prefiguration: Birth and Experimentation of the Commons Movement in Naples
• 2024: Caring and commoning in political society: Insights from the Scugnizzo Liberato of Naples
• 2023: For a political ecology of the subaltern. Plebs, commoners, and the re-invention of democracy in Naples

Sciarelli maintains active engagement with social movements and community organizations, serving as a member of the Permanent Observatory on Common Goods of the City of Naples since 2019. He has participated in numerous conferences and workshops focused on degrowth, environmental justice, and urban commons, demonstrating commitment to both academic discourse and practical community engagement. His teaching activities include collaboration with the 'Storia dell'Architettura e della Città' course at the University of Naples Federico II and participation in various educational initiatives focused on human rights, economy, and commons.