Resumen de Proposal of an international charterfor the valorisation and sustainable development of small towns in inland areas: The “salerno charter”
Pierfrancesco Fiore, Luis Palmero Iglesias, Florian Nepravishta, Emanuela D'Andria
The depopulation of small towns in inland areas, caused by the social, economic andcultural dynamics of contemporary society, is leading to the impoverishment of thetangible and intangible assets of these settlements, as well as a demographic imbalancein which cities are becoming increasingly crowded, and small municipalities arebecoming abandoned. Therefore, it is necessary to propose strategies and guidelinesin order to promote their sustainable devel opment so that their unexpressed potentialcan be exploited. There are many aspects to be taken into account in a systemicframework of territorial development, with it being necessary, in this context, to provideor implement essential services and infrastructures in order to avoid discomfort,especially to the new generations, while also introducing any all-innovative tools andsystems to facilitate decentralised living and working.The aim of the “Salerno Charter” is, therefore, to outline the strategic guidelines tomitigate the depopulation of entire fragile geographical areas and to avoid the risk ofthe impoverishment of the building, landscape and cultural heritage; to reduce theexodus of the inhabitants of many small municipalities towards the cities, or to contrastthe fleeing of the current guardians of the territory, so as to preserve the heritageof ancient knowledge and traditions by keeping the identity and memory alive.The built, landscape, and cultural heritage in small towns is a resource that belongsto everyone and is an expression of the diversity of societies through history. The“Salerno Charter” aims to define the principles, goals, methods and tools to valorisethe authentic features of the civilisation that characterises the identity of settlementsin inland areas, supporting the permanence of inhabitants as the main actors in thepreservation of knowledge and in actions of sustainable growth and development.
