316
R. Bolici et al.
1 Introduction
The Europe 2020 Strategy of the European Union has assigned a fundamental role to
cohesion policies in the socioeconomic development of the territory. The implementation of these policies requires the enhancement of a more efficient and competitive
economy that is more attentive to environmental issues, including in terms of building
recovery and land consumption (sustainable growth); support for employment, especially youth employment, to foster social and territorial cohesion (inclusive growth),
and finally, the development of a knowledge and innovation economy (smart growth).
Strategies necessary for achieving these objectives are the optimal use of resources
and financial opportunities in key economic sectors and the structuring of an integrated and coordinated approach to interventions. The synergic activation of these
elements offers new opportunities for businesses and the community, boosts local
development, strengthens coordination between community, national, and sectoral
policies and broadly facilitates the process of territorial cohesion also through the
‘activation of a partnership between local and regional actors, social partners and
civil society’.
Within the scenario envisaged by the European Union, the issue of social inclusion,
as a way of favoring a better and full integration of the individual within the social
and economic context in which they live, is brought back, in addition to the sphere
of welfare, to labor policies. For the community, employment is an indispensable
prerogative for accessibility to the services and opportunities created by economic
growth, in fact, through processes of inclusion and reduction of social hardship, it
becomes both a recipient of interventions or services and an active agent of economic
development, social life, and the well-being of a territory.
The international economic crisis characterizing the last decade has brought to
the forefront the problem of unemployment, especially youth unemployment. A possible way of looking into this issue is the activation of multilateral and innovative
collaborations, involving public administration, social parties, educational institutions, communities, and young people (International Labor Office 2012), for the
construction of projects that facilitate youth entrepreneurship, which represents an
opportunity for local businesses that can draw innovative elements from this, starting
from the skills of young professionals and incorporating them into their companies.
The sustainable growth promoted by the European Union is also implemented
through rational use of resources and finds in the theme of urban regeneration and
therefore the reuse of real estate a wide context of experimentation.
The theme of urban regeneration in a sustainable way represents a priority aspect
in the development policies of cities as it offers, on the one hand, the opportunity
to trigger architectural, environmental, energy, and social redevelopment processes
of urban centers, starting from the reuse of already existing real estate assets. On
the other hand, there can be important social and economic consequences from
the transformation of degraded urban areas into real catalysts for creativity and
R. Bolici et al.
1 Introduction
The Europe 2020 Strategy of the European Union has assigned a fundamental role to
cohesion policies in the socioeconomic development of the territory. The implementation of these policies requires the enhancement of a more efficient and competitive
economy that is more attentive to environmental issues, including in terms of building
recovery and land consumption (sustainable growth); support for employment, especially youth employment, to foster social and territorial cohesion (inclusive growth),
and finally, the development of a knowledge and innovation economy (smart growth).
Strategies necessary for achieving these objectives are the optimal use of resources
and financial opportunities in key economic sectors and the structuring of an integrated and coordinated approach to interventions. The synergic activation of these
elements offers new opportunities for businesses and the community, boosts local
development, strengthens coordination between community, national, and sectoral
policies and broadly facilitates the process of territorial cohesion also through the
‘activation of a partnership between local and regional actors, social partners and
civil society’.
Within the scenario envisaged by the European Union, the issue of social inclusion,
as a way of favoring a better and full integration of the individual within the social
and economic context in which they live, is brought back, in addition to the sphere
of welfare, to labor policies. For the community, employment is an indispensable
prerogative for accessibility to the services and opportunities created by economic
growth, in fact, through processes of inclusion and reduction of social hardship, it
becomes both a recipient of interventions or services and an active agent of economic
development, social life, and the well-being of a territory.
The international economic crisis characterizing the last decade has brought to
the forefront the problem of unemployment, especially youth unemployment. A possible way of looking into this issue is the activation of multilateral and innovative
collaborations, involving public administration, social parties, educational institutions, communities, and young people (International Labor Office 2012), for the
construction of projects that facilitate youth entrepreneurship, which represents an
opportunity for local businesses that can draw innovative elements from this, starting
from the skills of young professionals and incorporating them into their companies.
The sustainable growth promoted by the European Union is also implemented
through rational use of resources and finds in the theme of urban regeneration and
therefore the reuse of real estate a wide context of experimentation.
The theme of urban regeneration in a sustainable way represents a priority aspect
in the development policies of cities as it offers, on the one hand, the opportunity
to trigger architectural, environmental, energy, and social redevelopment processes
of urban centers, starting from the reuse of already existing real estate assets. On
the other hand, there can be important social and economic consequences from
the transformation of degraded urban areas into real catalysts for creativity and