Enhancing social inclusion in small towns: projects and networks

In the last years, inequalities between metropolitan and marginal areas are increasing despite a range of public and private interventions. The concept of proximity, according to global strategies, is generally referred to the urban and metropolitan dimension of services. However, in order to redefine territorial equity and cohesion, the offer of public spaces and services must be considered at different scales, also including areas where the principles of urbanism are more difficult to apply. Italy’s small towns, characterized by specificities that cannot be framed by urban-centric approaches, contradict the current rhetoric of “borghi” (hamlets), seen as places fixed in ancient times to be rediscovered through standardized forms of urban tourism. This contribution aims to highlight the features of social inclusion emerged in the session “What proximity? Networks and connections in small towns” within the last Biennial of Public Space held in Rome in May 2023. The seminar was divided in two parts: the first one on good practices of proximity in small towns; the second dedicated to a round-table discussion and comparison of the critical issues and perspectives of proximity in small towns. In the seminar, through the analysis of good practices and case studies, some key issues emerged for the urban regeneration and territorial development of small towns. The focus of the seminar mainly covered the following topics: - Mobility through the analysis of the case study “Secondary railways and fragile territories”, edited by a research unit from Roma Tre University. The recovery and re-functionalization of secondary railway networks could allow multi-actor involvement towards territorial regeneration processes, thanks to the use of collaborative governance tools; - Accessibility to public services analysed through the “POLIS – house of digital services” program by Poste Italiane. It aims to reduce the gap with highly urbanized areas and provides multiple services to communities, in particular devoted to the fragile population, as well as contributing to the digital transition. Furthermore, the POLIS project is configured as a significant experience for urban regeneration thanks to the creation of a co-working network spaces; - Educational poverty in marginal areas, analysed through a research carried out by the Foundation Openpolis. It defined socio-economic-spatial criteria in which demographic trends, the state of services and situations of exclusion and integration of children and families were highlighted; - Social cooperativism, as evidenced by a research group from the University of Camerino, experimented in the 2016 earthquake areas of central Italy. This experience showed how participation, also through new technologies, can address new community-based regeneration processes in post-disaster areas; - Digital needs and skills aimed at marketing in rural areas, evidenced by the experience of the "Back to the Rural" project addressed to young people and based on an immersive, itinerant and international learning program on digital innovations; - Civic crowdfunding and civic engagement, with a focus on “La Benéfica de Piloña”, curated by Eurocrowd, highlighted a promising cultural-based urban regeneration process, with the participation of communities and their collective improvement in design skills. The roundtable highlighted how strengthening neighbourhood networks for improving social cohesion can contribute to the definition of shared and collaborative visions of territorial framework. Furthermore, the strengthening of policies, the definition of a relevant spatial dimension, through complementary specializations among municipalities, should be aimed at building institutional and spontaneous alliances for a unified vision of sharing services. The implementation of cooperative and multidisciplinary networks, based on a cultural intelligence approach, can contribute to the systematization of research and projects. At the same time, the public sector should support an idea of responsible welfare that makes the community the protagonist of regeneration processes. Thus, it is useful to consider a spatial and temporal proximity that intervenes in marginal areas to setup conditions of attractiveness and inclusiveness. The seminar brought out contradictions encountered in our country, but also innovative and proactive forms of collaboration between stakeholders and municipalities aimed at the integration of material and immaterial interventions. The seminar also investigated which processes and projects in small towns have led to strengthening inclusive processes through proximity networks.