Village Repopulation: Analysis of Extra-Economic Indicators to Evaluate and Valorise Social Generativity in Ecovillages

Along with continuous urban growth, a depopulation process has increasingly involved smaller settlements. Over 70% of Italian Municipalities have a population below 5,000 inhabitants, with some of them in a state of abandonment and several more at risk of abandonment. Due to the significant presence of cultural heritage and the need to rebalance territorial presence, several national and local initiatives, programs, and projects have been set up to improve living conditions in villages and support their repopulation. In some cases, these have led to virtuous practices and positive results in the contexts where they have been applied. In others, the abandonment dynamics have not been stopped despite structural and functional interventions. On the other hand, observing successful bottom-up repopulation initiatives has revealed a pattern associated with a different perspective on regeneration and the potential of villages. The analysis has shed light on spirituality-based and community-based lifestyles practised in several villages throughout Italy and beyond. This can represent a key to countering hamlets’ abandonment by making them reservoirs where to experience an evolutionary lifestyle with a high level of social generativity. However, the indicators adopted in national programs do not allow valuing this component. Thus, this paper critically analyses the current and available indicators and suggests a potential integration.