ABSTRACT
A very schematic account of the notion of citizenship might start with a collection of genealogies, from Athens to Rome and right up to the American and French revolutions, before arriving at the present-day debate. Due to the vastness of the subject and its instrumental interest as a way of understanding spatial governance, however, it is wise to be selective and focus on the aspects of citizenship that relate most strongly to spatial governance. Starting in the past, the first contribution we must consider is that of the British Idealists, who had a unique perspective on concepts such as the common good and the public interest. Their approach is very useful for understanding the cultural climate in which contemporary spatial governance took its first steps, and for understanding which issues, despite obvious differences, remain relevant to this day – for example, the importance of an ethical perspective when drawing up public policies. The Idealists are worth exploring in some depth because they established a link between the common good, citizenship, and the Welfare State, and because they had a significant influence on the political thought of Patrick Geddes and, as a result, on his idea of society and spatial governance (Mazza 2012).
