SLOW-MO TERRITORIES. Resilient qualities and dynamic metabolism of the Marche inner areas · Maddalena Ferretti, Maria Giada Di Baldassarre, Caterina Rigo

Slow-Mo Territories. Resilient qualities and dynamic metabolism of the Marche inner areas

Maddalena Ferretti

Università Politecnica delle Marche DICEA - Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Edile e Architettura Email: m.ferretti@univpm.it

Maria Giada Di Baldassarre

Università Politecnica delle Marche DICEA - Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Edile e Architettura Email: mariagdibaldassarre@gmail.com

Caterina Rigo

Università Politecnica delle Marche DICEA - Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Edile e Architettura Email: c.rigo@pm.univpm.it

Abstract

Decentralized living models in peripheral areas are being investigated as a potential response of spatial design disciplines to actual societal challenges and as an opportunity to re-activate often marginalized rural and mountain areas. These aspects are explored in the Marche inner areas within a national PRIN research involving also contexts in the Trento province, in Sicily, and in Piedmont. With the definition “slow-mo” territories the paper aims to describe areas with a slow-pace metabolism proving that this condition is not necessarily less dynamic than the one of urban centers, but it offers other opportunities of transformation. Like in a slow-motion movie, where the story unfolds gradually, lingering on details to create the atmosphere, and thus allowing a deeper understanding of the subject, “slow-mo” territories have qualities that cannot be entirely appreciated with a fast experience. Integrated policies of spatial development combining resources of the building and settlements’ structure with the ones linked to natural spaces and landscape, to infrastructure and services, to complex productive systems should be implemented to unveil the “slow-mo” territories’ potentials. This refers not only to tourism, but also calls for shared actions with local communities and actors. According to this line of argument, the paper aims to address a possible methodological path for the exploration and consequent adaptive transformation of the Marche decentralized inner territories in the regional pilot area of the Italian Strategy for Inner Areas.

Parole chiave: slow territories, resilience, metabolism

1 | Introduction

In recent years inner areas have raised to a significant relevance in the scientific debate of spatial disciplines both at national and European level. Even more so during the recent pandemic, when peripheral areas have shown to be unexpectedly prompt to respond to the basic needs of local communities (social relations, quality of space and living, access to basic services), but at the same time they have manifested their structural weaknesses (digital divide, inaccessibility). If from one side landscape and identity values, as well as networks–of communities, of production, of supply chains–have provided structural support during emergency, on the other hand abandonment and structural decline remain inevitable critical issues of these areas. Proximity in inner areas can be seen in its ambivalent meaning. It may signify social welfare and vicinity provided by the intimate dimension and the history of these towns, but at the same time it relates to the necessity of reconnecting these marginal areas to larger territorial constellations where their social, productive, and cultural dynamism can be better valued, rediscovering closeness and accessibility through old and new infrastructures and networked systems. This paper aims to stress both these dimensions of proximity–the qualities and the challenges referred to this idea–in order to highlight that the slow pace of inner areas doesn’t imply an absence of movement, but it is instead a

different type of dynamism, a viable path to rediscover spatial, social, natural, and cultural resources and to foster re-settlement processes. The exploration leads to investigate marginalized inner areas as potential decentralized living models, with the aim of proposing innovative polycentric networks for a more resilient future of these territories.

2 | Re-activating inner areas through design

The word “periphery” digs into the idea of rotating and moving around (Schröder 2018). In this term, thus, dynamism is an already embedded conceptual reference. This perspective allows to look at marginal areas as places where, despite a slow-pace development, innovation and creativity can play a major role. Taking this discussion as a standpoint for the current argumentation, this contribution aims to overcome the interpretation that periphery revolves around a center, the metropolis, and that, as a consequence, this determines its condition of marginality. Instead, the dynamic impulse of many European and Italian peripheries should be integrated into more horizontal, cross-fertilized and synergic systems based on the idea of a polycentric constellation rather than of a mono-directional structure. This entails also a multiscalar approach, which is necessary to manage local instances without losing focus on a more holistic and strategic territorial vision. Decentralized living models in peripheral areas are being investigated as a potential response of spatial design disciplines to actual societal challenges and as an opportunity to re-activate often marginalized rural and mountain areas. These aspects are explored within a national research project involving also contexts in the Trento province, in Sicily, and in Piedmont. The recently funded “B4R Branding4Resilience” aims 1 to investigate the potential of branding in drawing the resilient development of territories and communities in four Italian inner contexts. The focus of the Università Politecnica delle Marche (UNIVPM), lead partner of B4R, is the Marche Region and in particular the pilot inner area of the Appennino Basso Pesarese - Anconetano located between Urbino and Fabriano, two main productive and cultural poles for this area (Figure 1). B4R is looking at this context through the lens of design, a multidisciplinary, trans-scalar and multi-level tool to activate new economies and life cycles and to promote a higher quality of space and life.

Figure 1| Appennino Basso Pesarese Anconetano, scenes from everyday life. Source: ©Ferretti M., Rigo C., 2020

“B4R Branding4Resilience” (2020–2023) is a research project of national interest (PRIN 2017 - Young Line) funded by the

1 Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) coordinated by the Università Politecnica delle Marche (P.I. Maddalena Ferretti) and developed with the following research partners: the University of Palermo (Local Coordinator Barbara Lino), the University of Trento (Local Coordinator Sara Favargiotti) and the Polytechnic of Turin (Local Coordinator Diana Rolando). A general description of the project’s structure and methodological approach is discussed in another paper submitted for this conference.

With ‘“slow-mo” territories’ the paper aims to describe areas with a slow-pace metabolism showing that this condition is not necessarily less dynamic than the urban centers, but it offers other opportunities of transformation. Like in a slow-motion movie, where the story unfolds gradually, lingering on details to create the atmosphere, and thus allowing a deeper understanding of the subject, “slow-mo” territories have qualities that cannot be entirely appreciated with a fast experience. Integrated policies of spatial development combining resources of the building and settlements’ structure with the ones linked to natural spaces and landscape, to infrastructure and services, to complex productive systems should be implemented to unveil the “slow-mo” territories’ potentials. This refers not only to tourism, but also calls for shared actions with the local communities and actors. B4R investigates the capacity of this territory to respond to major societal, environmental, and economic challenges through the implementation of operative branding actions. The idea is to propose the transformation of some spatial conditions in order to reactivate these fragile territories through real projects focused on places and communities of people. This action starts with the introduction of minimal tourist infrastructures, but with the major goal of activating larger networks of relational systems. Also, through participatory processes (co-design), B4R aims to build a shared future vision (co-visioning) working on legacy as a memory of the past and heritage of tomorrow.

The focus area is strongly linked to the two centers of Urbino and Fabriano and is tangentially touched by two important historical roads, the Via Flaminia in the north and the Via Clementina in the south (Figure 2). The latter supports a complex territorial, landscape and economic-production system that heads inland from the coast. The typical comb structure of the Marche region, characterized by transversal infrastructural and ecological axes, is clearly displayed in the focus area of the Appennino Basso PesareseAnconetano and it acts as the backbone of the entire territory. Productive activities, cultural heritage, important archaeological finds, protected natural areas enrich the patterns of these linear landscapes, so much so as to support the establishment of an “Evolved Cultural District” along the Flaminia to enhance tangible and intangible heritage (Clini et al. 2019). From the valleys reaching up to the Appennines, the settlement structure is polarized in rural-mountain villages, many of which are part of the network “Borghi più belli d’Italia”. Yet, like many peripheral areas in several European regions, the focus area suffers from a structural decline, an economic stagnation, an increasingly growing depopulation phenomenon. The B4R strategy wants to affirm more sustainable actions on these territories while attracting new residents to come and live in the mountain inner areas of the region. The proposal is focused on a resilient model that starts from the impulse of relational and experiential tourism, but it is also capable of activating new economic and social metabolisms.

Figure 2| The focus area: Appennino Basso-Pesarese Anconetano, with the two tangent axes of Via Flaminia and Via Clementina. Source: ©Ferretti M., Di Baldassarre M. G., 2020

The exploration will lead to an atlas that narrates the slow territories in Italy, putting them online through a virtual collaborative platform. If investing in the physical infrastructure of these areas is no longer a viable or feasible option, then a digital turn must be promoted to relaunch them, by improving their accessibility and proximity, at least in the digital world. In the research’s first year, UNIVPM works on a general exploration of the area with the goal of outlining a territorial portrait through the detection of guiding themes and development trends. This will address specifically demographic, social, economic, spatial, settlement, architectural, natural and infrastructural aspects. The preliminary investigation will also include the analysis of current planning and strategic instruments and the ongoing development projects. A general survey of the relational patterns of this complex territorial structure is another possible outcome of this first exploration phase. Besides, a perceptive analysis will be carried out through research on field and interviews to key actors and local players. At a later point, this pool of information will flow into explorative scenarios that are a preliminary test tool to verify the collected information and outline future developments paths to be shared with local administrators. Next to the territorial portrait, the exploration phase will lead to the selection of zooms to be analyzed more in detail in order to understand the relation between settlements and other systems (agriculture, industry, infrastructure, natural space etc). The research methodology in the exploration phase will be based on the application of quantitative and qualitative tools: mapping and territorial sections, literature review, research on field, photographic survey, stakeholders’ analysis, patterns’ analysis, scenario building, storytelling, with creative seminars and community workshops. Moreover, the preliminary exploration will develop basic knowledge for the elaboration of the incremental collaborative platform, an important planned outcome of the B4R project.

3 | Designing resilient communities. The case of the Appennino Basso Pesarese Anconetano

The research activity will focus on the exploration of the inner territories of the Marche Region, analyzing the pre-Apennine mountain areas in connection with the linear territorial system that goes from the coast to the Umbria-Marche Apennine. This ‘comb’ of river valleys perpendicular to the Adriatic Sea is the typical and identifying territorial structure of the region, both by natural conformation and as a result of human transformation. These transversal axes, connecting mountain areas to the most important infrastructural systems along the Adriatic coast, are at the same time infrastructural, productive and ecological linear landscapes and will represent the general reference environment of the research (Figure 3).

Figure 3| The territorial system of Marche Region, crossed by the ecological and infrastructural valley systems Source: ©Ferretti M., Di Baldassarre M. G., 2020

The specific context of investigation is the inner area Appennino Basso Pesarese Anconetano, Marche Region’s pilot area for the National Strategy for Inner Areas (SNAI 2014). It is located between Urbino and Fabriano and tangential to two important and historical routes: the roman road to the north, Via Flaminia, and the consular one to the south, Strada Clementina. Gathering nine municipalities (Acqualagna, Apecchio, Arcevia, Cagli, Cantiano, Frontone, Piobbico, Sassoferrato and Serra Sant’Abbondio) the area has a 846.15 km² extension and 32,375 residents (Istat 2019), for an average population density of 39.67 inhab. /km² . The settlement structure is characterized by small centers of Roman origin, medieval historical centers and rural villages, that are facing a slow and extended process of marginalization. This is emphasized by the reduced accessibility, the lack of offered education and the medium distance of 24.65 km from the DEA hospitals (Department of emergency and acceptance). The character of fragility is revealed by the population transformation trends, in fact the analysis of statistical data (Istat 2002-2019) on human capital reveals a phenomenon of progressive ageing population, with an increase in the average age from 45,52 to 48,37 years old, with a significant increase of over-65 population in comparison to the 0-14 and 15-64 age groups. In addition, the analysis of migratory flows recorded an average depopulation of 9%, with peaks up to 18% (Figure 4). Also, seismic and hydrogeological risks add on to the critical condition that affects the entire central Apennine. These demographic processes have impact on the local economy development and the governance system, leading to a general impoverishment of both heritage and natural assets.

Figure 4| Appennino Basso Pesarese Anconetano’s population trends: depopulation and ageing. Fonte: ©Di Baldassarre M. G., 2020

Nevertheless, the physical isolation of this peripheral inner area from metropolitan development logics and processes has preserved some intrinsic values of its settlements, communities, landscape and identity, which can constitute a valuable reserve of resilience for its development (Carta 2017). The area embeds high-value built heritage, important archaeological remains, protected areas, natural parks and valuable landscapes. Beside this precious capital, the intangible heritage related to the regional food products, like Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) wine or Protected geographical indication (PGI) agricultural and farmed food (produced following the ancient tradition and without pollutant fertilizers), represents the foundation for the organization of national and international event and the consequent development of quality economic flows. All these resources are connected to tourist itineraries, which ensure seasonal tourism, and to networks of municipal associations, able to enhance territorial quality and reinforce their governance model and project strategies.

Within the National Strategy for Inner Areas (SNAI), this area proposed a pilot project for the creation of a new concept of hospitality network involving all municipalities, the so called “Asili d’Appennino - The dwellings of creativity in Upper Marche” (SNAI) based on an integrated management approach. This strategy combines receptivity, culture and education, enjoyment of the environment and landscape, food products, welfare and slow mobility, digital services. It promotes the expansion of a service economy closely intertwined with the quality of places and to the necessities of the inhabitants. This system, made to interact, is designed to open to a many different possibilities to develop cultural and educational programs, landscape and environmental strategy, tourism and well-being actions, with the ultimate aim to experiment new possibilities and ways of living in this territory. In the current perspective of Covid-19, these territories have ended up at the center of the debate on new lifestyles and their configuration as territorial areas that, combining rural features, traditions and new structures, can experiment new models of quality of life, related to environmental, economic and social sustainability. So, starting from the projects already in place, B4R intends to affirm a new slow-pace lifestyle for designing resilient communities and developing creative and innovative metabolisms, through co-vision and co-design activities (Figure 5).

Figure 5| Branding4Resilience concept idea. Fonte: ©Ferretti M., Rigo C., 2020

4 | B4R incremental collaborative platform

The preliminary exploration phase of B4R intends to develop the basic knowledge necessary for the design of an incremental collaborative platform, which aims to become a meeting place between institutions, companies and associations operating on the Marche focus area and the potential users of networked services. B4R platform is designed to meet different types of potential users: suppliers, consumers and facilitators (Figure 6). The data collected from the analyzed territories will allow the connection between supply and demand in order to develop “tailor-made” experiences – highly personalized, for targeted consumers – provided by operators, institutions and local communities.

Figure 6| Branding4Resilience platform design: definition of potential users. Fonte: ©Ferretti M., Rigo C., 2020

The platform aims to promote the concept of “branding” as a sense of belonging to a place, allowing those who are part of it and those who come from outside to strengthen its identity. Even the occasional tourist will be able to associate the memory of a place not simply with a visit to a monument or historical building, but with a real all-round experience. These interaction tools aim to enhance and adapt, according to the needs of the user/visitor, to the available offer in the area in terms of cultural, tourist and entrepreneurial resources, and simultaneously to guide the user/visitor in the co-creation of tailor-made experiences, in order to promote identification processes. The platform aims to implement a new approach to branding (Ferretti 2018) based on the analysis of scenarios and patterns, which will allow structuring the offer of the territory (e.g., in terms of mobility, places and cultural events, tourist proposals) and identify appropriate storytelling methods that aim to communicate the vision to different users/visitors profiles, in a personalized way, defining customizable visit routes. These paths of knowledge and discovery of the territory will be adapted to the profile of the user/visitor (age, gender, geographical origin, etc.), his/her preferences and attitudes, and his/her needs (e.g., period of stay, interests, reasons for visiting, family status), thanks to the implementation of Artificial Intelligence algorithms able to map the offer of the city/territory in terms of mobility, cultural experiences, tourist proposals, etc. with the user profile (cluster of belonging). The platform also allows users to collect stories and share their ideas and experiences through photos, videos and social reactions. In this sense, a special “Social Wall” will be included, a section in which all the social posts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) related to the experiences lived through the platform will be displayed using special hashtags. Sentiment analysis techniques will be applied to the data collected from the platform to provide useful feedbacks and to enable the prediction of users’ preferences in the future.

5 | Local communities involvement

The platform design process will be approached through different steps, starting with the recognition of trends and needs of the explored territory. Besides quantitative data collected on the area, a more qualitative stakeholder analysis is conducted using multiple tools, to identify the key actors to be involved in the process. Adopting a specific methodology, an initial recognition of subjects operating in the area – who might have interests in the challenges presented by the project – leads to an identification of the stakeholders’ categories that are present in the territory (Wittek 2015). Among these, key players will be involved in the process through specific structured interviews, which are comparable to reveal critical issues. The aim will be to analyze the needs and offers of possible platform users, targeting specific suppliers and consumers, and to have a deeper idea of what could be the database on which the artificial intelligence engine will be based. This research is expected to produce important impacts on the territories involved: from the strategic and planning point of view, helping administrations in decision-making processes; regarding social innovation, supporting and promoting active communities and new inhabitants; on the side of the governance

process, sharing choices with the inhabitants, actively involving them in the creation of the collaborative platform and projects for the transformation of villages.

6 | Open matrix as a shared dynamic framework

With its spatial and design focus, the research aims at complementing ongoing national and regional programs through targeted branding actions on built heritage and with a trans-scalar methodology from territorial analysis to specific design interventions in synergy with the administrations. The starting point for the construction of resilient communities is the realization of an “Open Matrix”, a tool for the creation of a shared dynamic framework to address the goals of sustainability and resilience in these territories. The matrix represents the project’s theoretical background focusing on resilience. This concept is investigated in different fields, such as environmental and urban planning, social, economic, cultural and ecological aspects, built heritage, etc. The matrix is expected to produce a common output, the B4R shared definition of resilience. The complexity and openness of the matrix is the result of its structural configuration and its continuous and incremental process that leads to update the meaning of resilience. The matrix is also a sort of dynamic “glossary”, that grows through the collection and sharing of definitions, indicators, criteria, parameters derived from the researchers’ perspectives and experiences, the literature review, and the experts’ and local stakeholders’ positions. In the following phases this tool will be essential to implement a critical reading and methodological validation of the focus areas’ exploration process, through the identification of risks, vulnerabilities, potentialities and vibrancy at the territorial scale and to consequently select the set of pilot cases. This overall work will support co-design and covisioning processes for a comprehensive regeneration of the Marche focus area.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge funding from MIUR Ministero dell’Istruzione dell’Università e della Ricerca in the frame of “PRIN: PROGETTI DI RICERCA DI RILEVANTE INTERESSE NAZIONALE – Bando 2017 – Linea giovani”, 2020-2023. Parts ‘1’ and ‘2’ have been written by Maddalena Ferretti; part ‘3’ by Maria Giada Di Baldassarre; parts ‘4’ and ‘5’ by Caterina Rigo; part ‘6’ by all authors.

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