Left-behindness doesn’t take it all. Diversity in marginality across 12 European places
On March 28 2025, the preliminary results of the first phase of the Re-Place Project were presented through an online session. The main findings were shared with the sister project teams – MobiTwin and Premium_EU – through different presentations, aimed to illustrate the local and regional human development indices, the types of marginality across the identified case studies, and the visual narratives from left-behind areas.
Barbara Staniscia, Principal Investigator of the Italian Re-Place team, explained the selection process of the 12 case study areas with different local development and spatial mobility profiles and the key experts’ involvement in exploratory interviews on the following topics: conventional development strategies, non-conventional dimension of development, mobility and immobility dynamics, digitization in the post-pandemic context. The presentation, titled “Left-behindness doesn’t take it all. Diversity in marginality across 12 European places”, explored the diversities found in Re-Place left-behind areas, referring to characteristics that are not merely economic and to human mobility. The analysis – based on the insights of key stakeholders, including representatives of institutions, businesses, and local communities – highlighted some recurring themes emblematic of left-behindness (and largely aligned with the existing literature) and, conversely, some drivers of positive transformation.
After describing the 5 key variables (development strategies; capacity to attract new permanent resident and temporary population; population diversity and the ability to integrate newcomers; sense of belonging and place attachment; institutional cooperation and networking capacity), Barbara Staniscia presented a taxonomy of left-behind areas. The 3 typologies of LBA’s identified were: 1. Critical juncture: hope for change; 2. Legacy locks: seeds of change; 3. Regenerative currents: winds of change.
Finally, the classification of the 12 case study areas was illustrated according to the 3 typologies of LBA’s emerged (1. Caselle in Pittari-Southern Cilento, Ragovka-Nautreni, Sayago, Vâlcele; 2. Ferreira do Alentejo, Nocrich, Nordhalben, Tambach-Dietharz; 3. El Hierro, Idanha-a-Nova, Roja, Viù-Alpi Graie), opening up new research scenarios and future synergies with the sister project teams.
