Shrinking Phenomena in Italian Inner Mountainous Areas. Resilience Strategies

Abstract

Several factors have been identified by literature as the cause of shrink- age. These factors are often closely linked to spatial features. There are some contexts in which various causes overlap and amplify as in the case of the mountain or foothill areas of Central Italy, which is the case study of this work. The areas of the Marche region in Central Italy, affected by the severe earthquake of 2016, actually feature multiple shrinking causes. In this region, small and medium-sized towns play a determinant role in structuring urban systems with their influence over local communities and organizations. This research work intends to describe the main characteristics of the territory under study, as well as the shrinking causes detected by the analyses. It then tries to identify the strategies in place and to compare them with those already covered by literature, assessing both weaknesses and strengths.