Doing legal geography. An analysis of actor networks in the production of law and space in administrative law on worship buildings

Journal title RIVISTA GEOGRAFICA ITALIANA
Author/s Giulia Massenz
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2025/4
Language Italian Pages 22 P. 45-66 File size 0 KB
DOI 10.3280/rgioa4-2025oa21682
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Building on recent theoretical contributions to legal geography in Italy, this article offers a grounded application of the field, aimed at analyzing the actors involved in the production of law. Focusing on the case study of Islamic places of worship in Italy, and drawing on a systematic analysis of related administrative disputes in Lombardy from 2009 to 2024, the study identifies a prolonged pattern of uncritical judicial acceptance of police reports during legal proceedings. The routinized use of such documents – produced by officers whose highly discretionary work is shaped by hierarchical pressures, citizen expectations, and a strong sense of duty – effectively concentrates significant power in the hands of local police. As a result, local police emerge as a central institution not only in legal processes but also in the shaping of urban space.

Keywords: legal geography, law and urban space, street-level bureaucracy, police, worship places.

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Giulia Massenz, Fare geografia giuridica. Un’analisi delle catene di attori nella produzione di legge e spazio nel diritto amministrativo in materia di edilizia di culto in "RIVISTA GEOGRAFICA ITALIANA" 4/2025, pp 45-66, DOI: 10.3280/rgioa4-2025oa21682