ABSTRACT
This chapter explores a range of literary and architectural narratives that represent and reshape the city of Glasgow through its historic and contemporary associations with Italian culture. It focuses in particular, on the diverse and conflicting representations of the Italian Centre, a mixed-use development of flats, shops, cafes and restaurants that was an early and important example of Glasgow City Council's regeneration of the 'Merchant City' district. The chapter briefly compares these representations with several semi-autobiographical narratives about historic Italian-Glaswegian identities and cultures, and particularly the functional and symbolic role of the cafe. By thus examining texts written outside the geographic and cultural 'Centre' of Glasgow, the author will locate counter-narratives about urban regeneration and the formation of civic and national identities. Moreover, 'culture' comprised both established canons and institutions of cultural value and the 'cultural industries'. In all cases, though, the definitions of cultural value were largely formulated by middle-class professional decision-makers.
