The right to the city: a utopian idea, nascent human right or lofty slogan uniting citizens?

Abstract

This article is aimed at expanding the reader’s knowledge of urban issues, especially the concept of the right to the city, as well as raising their civic awareness. In particular, it intends to present the origin of the above term and various proposals for its understanding. Moreover, the work is concerned with an attempt to determine the content of the right to the city by establishing its essential features. Another issue raised by the author is a reflection on whether it is valid to distinguish the right to the city and perceive it as belonging within the sphere of human rights. The entire analysis takes into account selected legislation related to the discussed subject matter. In addition, the theoretical considerations have been accompanied with examples of how the right to the city is implemented in practice. The final part of the paper contains a summary of the author’s considerations and her addition to the debate over the essence of the right to the city as a concept.