Small towns in Irpinia: socio-economic dynamics and real estate market

Small towns constitute a significant part of Italy, although they are increasingly characterised by marginalization and undeveloped “territorial capital”. Among the several reasons of the marginality there is the negative trend of the population dynamic that led to the depletion of human capital, especially young. This phenomenon is particularly evident in some areas of Irpinia (Campania Region), characterized by competitive factors “non-relocatable” (historical and cultural heritage, biodiversity, agri-food, etc.), for a long time subject of research at the Department of Architecture and Industrial Design of University of Campania. Therefore the article, starting from the several initiatives to promote the valorisation of small towns (IT and telework, Lands bank, innovative start-ups, etc.), highlights the on-going socio-economic dynamics in some small municipalities of Irpinia, with particular reference to the effects on the real estate market