This paper explores the regeneration of inland areas in Europe, highlighting the potential to address demographic decline and transform these areas into spaces for cultural and social experimentation. The key points are as follows:
- Europe’s inland areas, which have experienced demographic decline, should be regenerated rather than abandoned.
- Intangible infrastructures, such as collective initiatives and civic activism, are crucial for revitalising marginalised territories and redefining the relationship between people and the surrounding landscape.
- Cultural activists and innovators have emphasised the role of culture in regeneration, challenging the urban-centric approach of cultural policies.
- Cultural activism is transitioning away from the immaterial dimension (projects, activism, theory) to the physical dimension by transforming abandoned spaces into symbolic and literal representations of regeneration.
- To achieve true regeneration, policies should invest in autonomous organisation at the local level, encourage access to public spaces, reward innovative use of spaces, and ensure culture is viewed as a right of citizenship without geographic or economic barriers.
