New challenges for the development of internal areas: an introductory reflection

Abstract

The study explores "New challenges for the development of internal areas: an introductory reflection", reconstructing the problem and the main evidence developed in the text. With results that vary in relation to the historical moments and the different stages of the development stage, the localization choices of residential and productive activities have always benefited some areas penalizing others. The territorial question, which in Italy stands, from the Unity, in the north advanced-south backward dichotomy, can take on different spatial declinations. All these territorial levels, at the same time, host “winning” areas, able to catalyse the greatest potential for development, and fragile areas, afflicted by socio-economic marginalization and poorly resilient compared to exogenous shocks. Not by chance, the first large wave of depopulation has invested mainly the nuclei and fractions, penalized by economic isolation, physical remoteness, the tiring accessibility to basic services, even on a local scale. The internal areas, shifted by prolonged decay and repeated natural disasters, therefore pose a challenging and undifferentiated challenge if you want to avoid the abandonment of an extensive portion of the country.

Keywords

Internal areas; urban economy; Local authorities; public services; depopulation; territorial resilience

JEL codes

R11; R58; R23