ABSTRACT
The question of temporal aspects of urban life has come to the forefront as a field for research and experimentation. In Italy, the extreme rigidity of gender roles is a salient aspect of the organisation of family life. Time-budget studies have clearly documented the inequality connected with the traditional family structure still prevailing. They show that women do most of the domestic work in the family unit, and also carry the full weight of running the household. Some modifications have been introduced in the ways in which local administrations are run, so as to cope with the widespread problem. This has resulted in new forms of governance focusing on the overall betterment of living conditions in urban settings. The point of departure for policy reforms was the concern with achieving compatibility between the various systems and schedules.
