The core mission of EU cohesion policy is to reduce regional disparities and promote long-term regional development. To achieve this goal, investments in public services, infrastructure, skills and multi-level governance have continued to foster convergence in recent years; however, as the investment effort is often concentrated in large urban areas, small and medium-sized towns risk being left behind. in recent years; however, as the investment effort is often concentrated in large urban areas, small and medium-sized towns risk being left behind.
To this end, the ESPON project “Small and medium-sized towns and cities: policies strengthening their role in achieving active, inclusive, and functional territories” focuses on their prosperity and aspires to provide policy-makers at all levels, from European to local.
The FULL research centre of the Politecnico di Torino dealt with an analysis of the Italian case at a national scale and an analysis at a local level, focusing on the role of small and medium-sized cities in rural and piedmont contexts. The work produced policy recommendations on how to strengthen small and medium-sized cities so that they can become key contributors to the achievement of a more balanced territorial development as well as economic, social and territorial cohesion.
Read the working papers here
