The work has brought to bear a series of reflections on the different interpretations that interest the city to date and the intrinsic characters of the subjects that inhabit it. Through the elaborations presented, an attempt was made to define an analytical-interpretive path capable of understanding how the “city of proximity” can become an opportunity, to rethink urban characters. The objective was, on the one hand, to verify the adequacy of the offer of tangible and intangible services distributed in proximity, on the other hand, to deepen a reading on the characters of the population aimed at the recognition of the most “fragile” groups of citizens. The set of these elaborations, will become an integral part of the Services Plan, drafted by the Municipality of Mantua.