The illicit side of urban development: Corruption and organised crime in the field of urban planning

The paper deals with issues of corruption in the planning domain. It centres on thorough analysis of the case of Desio (Milan, Italy), where a recent judicial inquiry discovered several instances of corruption related to the drafting of the local master plan, in an environment characterised by the rooted presence of a mafia-type organisation known as the ’Ndrangheta. The study sheds light on the various types of corrupt practices that prevail in the field of urban planning, the main issues at stake, and the key public agents involved. General hypotheses about the main internal and external factors fostering corruption in the planning domain are presented and discussed.