Regenerating small historic villages. Possible strategies through the vision of experts

This article aims to explore the critical issues and strategies for the enhancement and regeneration of small Italian historic villages, making use of the opinions of experts from different backgrounds, collected in the context of open-ended interviews. The analysis of the results of the interviews paints a nuanced picture of the challenges facing these communities, which include environmental and economic sustainability, demographics, access to essential services, and the preservation of cultural identity. The integration of perspectives derived from interviews with politicians, technicians, health professionals and cultural experts highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to address the complexity of the challenges. Themes emerge such as the need for strategies that can be adapted to local specificities, the active involvement of local communities in decision-making and a delicate balance between preservation of traditions and innovation. The article’s conclusions underline the urgency of flexible strategies that can adapt to the changing needs of these communities. As a whole, the work offers a contribution to the debate on regeneration policies, offering key ideas to orient the future of the many smaller Italian historic centers towards a perspective of sustainable and lasting development.