ABSTRACT
Commercial areas have recently been identified with a specific architectural style, that of the hyper-places. Usually, they can be found on the outskirts of European cities and they are becoming part of the already described changing territories. Such transformations which take place outside the urban cores can be summarised by the term peri-urbanisation. Besides commercial and infrastructural development, the internal migration pattern represents a major driver for peri-urbanisation. In ancient times, commerce was a kind of holistic exchange, not only aimed at, precisely, buying and selling, but also at meeting, enjoying things, discussing, talking, playing, and exchanging opinions: a little bit like the Forum in ancient Greek and Roman towns. Now, again, in these hyper-commercial areas this role can be seen. The consumer becomes also a social actor which operates in the consumption and is a carrier of heterogeneous and diversified cultural needs.
