Partecipazione e immaginazione: sfide e percorsi della rigenerazione territoriale community-based

This article explores the challenges and pathways of community-based territorial regeneration, emphasizing the critical role of participation and imagination. The concept of participation is crucial in policies for regenerating "fragile" or "marginal" areas, yet anthropological analysis warns against its superficial and top-down rhetoric uses. The research focuses on Castel del Giudice (IS), in Molise, where participatory methods are used to engage citizens in shaping development actions. The article highlights the importance of empowering communities through participatory strategies that promote autonomy in resource management and decision-making. The research also integrates visual anthropology methods, using photography as a tool for community involvement, illustrating the relational and imaginative power of images in reimagining the future. In sum, the article discusses how participatory processes can lead to sustainable territorial regeneration when grounded in continuous dialogue, critical reflection, and shared re-imagination processes.