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This article analyses the geography of urban uprising during the so-called Arab Spring, with a focus on the relationship between its virtual and physical dimensions. To enhance understanding of contemporary social movements, it pays particular attention to the interwoven relationship between the social media that now organise gatherings and communicate political messages, the practices of protest in urban space and the magnifying power of global and national media. Using case studies from Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen, it analyses the spatial and temporal aspects of recent protests and suggests that the reciprocal interaction between social media, urban space and traditional media does not simply reproduce relations between these actors, but also transforms them incrementally.

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Este artigo examina formas de cidadania associadas ao urbanismo contemporâneo. Concentra-se em três espaços paradigmáticos: o enclave fechado, a ocupação regulamentada e o campo. Os autores argumentam que a paisagem formada pela cidadania urbana é crescentemente fragmentada e dividida. Essas geografias são constituídas por soberanias múltiplas e concorrentes que, quando exercidas sobre o território, dão origem a feudos de regulação ou a zonas "sem lei". A fim de entender essas práticas, os autores empregam o quadro conceitual da "cidade medieval". O uso da história como teoria joga luz em tipos particulares de cidadania urbana, tais como a "cidade livre" ou o "bairro étnico", presentes em diferentes momentos do medievalismo e que guardam semelhanças com processos atuais.Palavras-chave: Cidade medieval; Enclave fechado; Ocupação regulamentada; Campo. ABsTRACTThis paper examines forms of citizenship associated with contemporary urbanism. Focusing on three paradigmatic spaces: the gated enclave, the regulated squatter settlement and the camp, the authors argue that the landscape of urban citizenship is increasingly fragmented and divided. These geographies are constituted through multiple and competing sovereignties which, when territorially exercised, produce fiefdoms of regulation or zones of "no law". In order to understand these practices, the authors employ the conceptual framework of the "medieval city". This use of history as theory sheds light on particular types of urban citizenship, such as the "free town" or the "ethnic quarter", that were present at different moments of medievalism and that are congruent with current processes.Keywords: Medieval city; Gated enclave; Regulated squatter settlement; Camp. Novos esTUdos 85 ❙❙ NoveMBro 2009 105 InTRoduçãoA renovação do interesse pelas cidades marcou o iní-cio do novo século. O século XXI será um século urbano, quan do mais pessoas viverão em cidades do que em qualquer outro tipo de formação espacial. Há o temor de que grande parte desse processo de urbanização se dê nas cidades do Sul global, cidades que têm sido caracterizadas pelo hipercrescimento. Para além da hipérbole demográfica, cidadania e urbanismo na era global

The basis of this paper is the proposition that the development of squatter communities and informal housing varies throughout developing regions. Squatter developments follow distinct patterns and develop unique characteristics which are affected by regional cultural variables. The paper presents a framework for investigating how different cultural practices affect the nature of squatter development. It first presents a brief overview of prevailing trends of thought regarding the formation of and response to informal housing development. Its principal argument then emerges from a crosscultural comparison of cases of informal development in the Arab Middle East and Latin America. The comparison shows that there is no all-encompassing model for processes of formation and maturation of squatter settlements. For example, while informal developments in the Middle East have a clearly depoliticized and unobtrusive character, in Latin America such settlements are rarely isolated, maintaining ties to either ruling or opposition political parties. Further analysis elaborates on the definition of culture and its importance as a variable. The argument is made that the purely politicaVeconomic circumstances of squatter populations cannot be considered without regard for the cultural contexts in which these are embedded. Finally, the paper critiques the generalized pattern that has emerged to describe the evaluation of informal housing developments in the 'Third World, despite the key mediating role played by culture. It concludes that a culturally grounded approach may broaden the horizons for housing acquisition by the urban poor.