A New Renaissance for Small Towns through the Development of Territorial and Social Capital

The enhancement of territorial and social capital is a valid strategy to foster depopulation in inner areas. The essay reflects on how territorial planning and policies can help local communities in carrying on economic and productive activities, triggering new forms of development. One of the main purpose is to activate participatory policies in which local communities, whose awareness on the consequences of physical, economic and social isolation has been more and more increasing, to promote new opportunities for young people and families in their territories. The aims should also be to improve essential public services (education, health, connectivity, and culture) to maintain in site the 7% of population who "oversees" a good third of the national territory, in terms of maintenance and slope regulation. Finally, the development of the territorial and urban policies should be encouraged, to integrate geographical and social aspects and to conceive forms of development starting from the exploitation of crops, agricultural and artisan production, work, arts and landscapes, expressions of territorial capital and local knowledge. A village that offers a high quality of life does not need to attract expediently the tourist flows that will naturally be recalled by the cultural, identity, and productive energies that the place expresses.