Enrique Nieto (Head of the Policy Unit in AEIDL) participated at the European Urban Research Association (EURA) Conference (16-18 June 2022) “Defrag-Europe: fragility/antifragility at play in contemporary Europe” that took place in Milan, Italy. EURA aims to gather researchers committed to international exchange, cooperation, and interdisciplinary and comparative urban research. By doing so, EURA encourages and contributes to urban policy debates and regional development.

AEIDL was invited by the Join Research Center (JRC) of the European Commission to provide a reflection on how to support the revitalisation of marginalised territories in Europe. Enrique explored the concept of smart villages and their role in supporting innovative and community-led responses boosting the development of rural areas suffering from socio-economic decline. This discussion unpacked the main enabling factors that need to be considered in policies that have the ambition to revitalise rural areas and contribute to the EU Long Term Vision for Rural Areas published by the European Commission in June 2021. A particular focus will be placed on LEADER-CLLD as a core EU policy instrument supporting the integrated development of rural areas for the period 2021-2027.

To discover our presentation, please click here.