1For at least a decade, geographical-economic research on manufacturing spaces and territories in Italy has focused on the “new industrial triangle” (Viesti, 2021; Armondi et al., 2024), a vast territory between Milan, Bologna and the Veneto-Friuli area. Indeed, it is here that the largest number of multinational companies (Martin, 2021) (Fig. 1) and manufacturing districts are located. This is where the country's gross domestic product is produced, the highest levels of exports are achieved, and the lowest unemployment rates are recorded (Prota, Cicatiello, 2025). In addition to metropolitan areas and medium-sized cities, which merge a traditional manufacturing base with a strong service system, as well as widespread district-based urbanisation and logistics platforms, this system also includes some peripheral areas – or at least parts of them – representing a significant part of Northern Italy’s composite manufacturing system (Berta, 2007; Perulli, Pichierri, 2010). In these contexts, production – often underestimated – has played a decisive role in socio-spatial transformation processes, leading to a strong territorial polarisation between the more marginal mountain areas and the infrastructure-rich valleys. This study particularly refers to manufacturing and industrial production, both Fordist in nature and linked to the development of district production specialisations during the economic boom between the late 1950s and early 1960s. Such activities are also connected to other economic sectors, primarily logistics and business services, which developed in different periods and occupied and produced heterogeneous spaces.
Figure 1. Northern Italy: number of large active enterprises per 1,000 employees per municipality (2019)
Source: ISTAT-Asia.
2Numerous productive activities have been located in the Alpine valleys and, especially, in their valley floors, in different historical periods, as a result of larger spaces and connecting infrastructure (Modica, 2022), (Fig. 2). These areas, which can be defined as pre-Alpine, make up the strip of land between the medium-sized towns at the foot of the mountains and the peaks, also known as the “middle-metro-foot of the mountain” (Lanzani, 2021), acting as a hinge between what lies beside them (Kërçuku et al., 2023; Bertram, Chilla, Schirpke, 2025). Productive activities have developed in these areas without careful management of urban-territorial transformations, partly because the industrialisation process of these territories has often been a predominantly hetero-directed process, carried out by the state and Fordist industry, based on the exploitation of local resources, such as water for energy production. Hence, the contradictions and tensions between the economy, the environment and society can be clearly observed in pre-Alpine contexts. The phenomena of territorial fragility (Fior et al., 2022) are more pronounced here, representing crucial elements in the definition of sustainable development scenarios within which, as argued by Bonomi (2021), manufacturing is also a sector that will have to face new challenges, such as hydrogeological risk management and greater incorporation of environmental issues, together with digitalisation and energy supply from renewable sources.
Figure 2. Production areas in Valtrompia (Brescia)
Source: Agim Kërçuku (2022)
3Starting from the reflection by Buciuni and Corò (2023), who state that non-metropolitan peripheral areas have certain distinctive features, such as lower land costs, less congestion, higher quality of life, and less social polarisation, which can be exploited to attract people and businesses, this paper focuses on the low and medium valley pre-Alpine areas (Varotto, 2020). They feature the convergence of different economies, while manufacturing continues to play an important role in local development.
4Within the context of territorial polarisation favouring large and medium-sized cities, the pre-Alpine areas under consideration appear to be hybrid and vital spaces, both demographically and economically, often draining the population from the highlands, i.e., from the more isolated mountain areas, while also guaranteeing the presence of supra-local facilities and services in the territories (Dematteis, 2009). These areas are mostly on the margins of tourist circuits (or characterised by a very specific offer), but they are under pressure due to the various flows that pass through them, which are linked to both industry and leisure. For these reasons, and given that they are home to a large part of the manufacturing industry in mountain areas, the lower and middle valley areas are more polluted and degraded than the highlands from an ecological, environmental and urban planning point of view. However, the pre-Alpine areas play a crucial role in complex large-scale economic and territorial dynamics. This applies not only to the Lombardy region studied here, but more generally to Alpine areas situated close to medium-sized and large urban centres (Wandl, 2020), and more accessible ones, as can be observed in Switzerland (Nussli, Schmid, 2016).
5This relational dimension (Haller, Branca, 2022), which characterises the low to medium-altitude pre-Alpine areas of Lombardy, develops on several levels. First of all, between the pre-Alpine valleys and the highlands, with their different internal centres (Perlik, 2025); between low valleys and external centres, such as medium-sized cities (Bergamo or Brescia, for example), where the high value-added tertiary services sought by businesses are located, or where we find widespread urban systems, such as those in the Lombardy foothills, especially with regard to the logistics platforms located there, according to “metromontane” reports (Barbera, De Rossi, 2021); and, between neighbouring areas at the same altitude, which share historical and cultural characteristics, including manufacturing traditions or emerging transformation processes. This integrated and cross-cutting approach has, in some cases, led to the establishment of specific agreements, such as the “Regional Territorial Plan for the Alpine Valleys”. The initiative aims to enhance the value of the Lombardy mountains through sustainable economic development proposals that are compatible with a territory that is already heavily compromised both socially and ecologically. Among the proposed actions, our discussion, which focuses on the relational dimension, highlights the inter-valley routes to be implemented.
6The scientific and planning interest in the intermediate pre-Alpine areas (Lanzani, 2024) is, therefore, motivated by the fact that they can – or, better still, could, if guided by appropriate territorial strategies – simultaneously support the most marginal contexts, especially with existing services and their job opportunities, primarily in the manufacturing sector, besides decongesting the denser areas of the foothills. This would offer a higher quality of life to those who work and live there. Within this framework, the productive and industrial activities located in the pre-Alpine contexts are a crucial element, which requires a careful study of the existing situation and consequent planning.
- 1 Under the scientific guidance of Prof. Alessandro Coppola and a scientific committee composed of G. (...)
7The first part of this paper presents the objectives and methodology of the research entitled “Analysis and strategic scenarios for inland areas of Lombardy”1 conducted by a team of researchers, including the authors of this paper, from the Department of Architecture and Urban Studies (DAStU) of the Politecnico di Milano (Coppola, 2025). The second part presents the socio-economic profile of the areas analysed, while the third part returns to some themes concerning the relationship between production, territory and areas of life and work through experiences and projects undertaken in these contexts. The next part introduces possible strategic and planning lines of action for the pre-Alpine areas that focus on the quality of productive spaces and their territorial role. Finally, the conclusion presents some critical reflections on the process undertaken in the Lombardy Region, and on the proposals arising from the inland areas analysed, proposing possible topics for further research and action in the territories.
8In Italy, the National Strategy for Internal Areas (SNAI), adopted in 2014, has refocused attention on the most marginalised areas of the country, particularly mountainous areas, which the SNAI defines as areas distant from essential services (health, education, transport) and at risk of demographic decline. To combat this phenomenon, the SNAI provides for the combined use of national resources and European funds aimed at improving access to essential services in the areas that are furthest away from them, and at promoting local development projects (Barca, Lucatelli, 2014).
- 2 For further information on the European Regional Development Fund, refer to the official website: h (...)
- 3 The European Social Fund+ is one of the European funding instruments. For further information, refe (...)
9As part of the second phase of the Strategy and regional programming of European funds for 2021-2027, known as the “European Regional Development Fund” (ERDF) 2and the “European Social Fund” (ESF+)3, the Lombardy Region has identified 14 internal regional areas through a quantitative survey and a synthetic vulnerability indicator, subsequently involving the Department of Architecture and Urban Studies of the Politecnico di Milano in territorial interpretation activities to support the areas in defining an integrated territorial strategy. The 14 areas identified are very large, often covering dozens of municipalities, and mainly concern Alpine and pre-Alpine valleys, as well as two plains and one Apennine area (Fig. 3).
10The research project referred to in this paper defined and replicated a process of analysis and local animation for drafting, in each of the 14 areas, a fact-finding document, called a “Territorial Portrait”, and a policy document, called a “Strategic Agenda”, which identifies priority issues and possible courses of action or public policies for each specific context.
- 4 in agreement with the Lombardy Region and the Regional Territorial Offices, participants in the wor (...)
11For each of the areas, the process with local actors4 took the form of two one-day workshops held about a month apart, between late 2022 and early 2023. The events recorded the overall participation of 1,600 people. The meetings were held in two different institutional venues, agreed upon with the bodies involved and with the Lombardy Region, in order to offer adequate territorial coverage and increase the opportunities for participation. The first was aimed at expanding, confirming and reorienting the knowledge base built up by the research group in the “Territorial Portraits” through discussion with local stakeholders. The second, instead, had a more operational character, discussing some of the priority strategic issues that emerged from the first meeting and possible lines of work.
12Finally, in order to illustrate the proposals contained in the “Strategic Agendas”, the working group organised a number of thematic meetings in the last phase of the research project to explore and accompany the definition of “Area Strategies”. During such encounters, administrators and planners were invited to present interventions implemented in similar contexts, and to discuss the results with local stakeholders.
13This extensive research also considered the theme of economy and production, both because part of the European ESF+ funds could be allocated to businesses, mainly for investments in innovation and training, and because of the possible role of private actors in local development strategies for the territories. Furthermore, regional development policies for inland areas aim to combat depopulation and increase the socio-economic attractiveness of the contexts investigated, issues in which the presence of job opportunities plays a central role. Hence, the economic component and production specialisations formed part of the background document, and were discussed in working groups and at meetings with local actors.
14While drawing on activities and data related to the research conducted, this paper specifically reflects on the role of productive activities in the pre-Alpine contexts of Lombardy, identifying different territorial situations and multiple processes of change. Manufacturing production is placed in tension with other research topics, such as demographic dynamics – which highlight processes of contraction and polarisation, as well as the presence of different populations –, the building heritage of housing, services for citizens and workers, their mobility practices, risks related to ecological and environmental contexts, local development and climate change adaptation policies and projects – especially those that have reactivated disused industrial spaces.
15Various analytical tools were used for the territorial survey. Qualitative data were collected through site visits conducted by the authors themselves during the first phase of the research (2022-2023).
16Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with some significant local actors (mayors, presidents of the Mountain Community, officials of Local Action Groups, etc.) to gather their views on the local situation and on specific issues, such as the state of the productive fabric. Finally, research was carried out on scientific literature and grey sources, including reports, local newspaper articles, institutional documents, and GIS software mapping based on national and regional statistical databases. As far as possible, the researchers involved sought to use diachronic indicators to highlight the trends of change that have taken place in the territories over the last few decades. This essay presents data that allow for an analysis of the state of the manufacturing industry.
17The Lombardy territories considered in the research are the following, as can also be seen in the map (Fig. 3): Upper Lake Como and Lario Valleys, Lario Intelvese and Lario Ceresio Valleys, Valcamonica, Val Trompia, Val Sabbia – Upper Garda, Piambello and Verbano Valleys, Val Seriana and Val di Scalve, Valle Brembana and Valtellina di Morbegno, Bergamo Lakes – Sebino Bresciano, Eastern Lario – Valle S. Martino and Valle Imagn. The authors carried out research on pre-Alpine areas presenting a strong productive character, which will be discussed in this paper, drafting informative and strategic documents, and coordinating local stakeholder involvement processes.
Figure 3. The 14 inland areas of Lombardy
Source: Agim Kërçuku (2022).
- 5 We refer to the statements made by the president of Assolombarda at the 2024 General Meeting, publi (...)
18If we were to consider it a national economy, Lombardy would rank tenth in Europe in terms of gross domestic product5. Within this dynamic territory, inland areas play a decisive role when considering their weight on a regional scale. Indeed, 10% of Lombardy's population lives here, on an area that accounts for 30% of the region's total surface area. If we look at the socio-economic characteristics of the inland areas in the pre-Alpine contexts of Lombardy, what emerges is a strong manufacturing profile (Fig. 4).
Figure 4. Percentage of employees in the manufacturing sector by municipality and inland area
Source: ISTAT-Asia (2019).
19According to ISTAT ASIA data, the percentage of employees in the aggregate manufacturing sector reaches its highest values in the areas of Valtrompia, Upper Lake Como and the Lario Valleys, and Val Sabbia – Upper Garda. If we consider the number of large companies active per thousand employees (Fig. 1), we can see that they are significantly present in Piambello and Valli del Verbano, Valle Brembana and Valtellina di Morbegno, Val Seriana and Val di Scalve, Laghi Bergamaschi – Sebino Bresciano and Val Sabbia – Alto Garda. Despite their geographical marginality, these areas actively participate (and perhaps even counter-intuitively with respect to the more established narrative of economic science) in the system of the new industrial triangle of Northern Italy described above. In addition to the quantitative data, productive specialisations are particularly important and articulated. Some of Italy's leading industrial districts are located in the pre-Alpine territories considered (Becattini, 2000; Garofoli, 1991; Fuà and Zacchia, 1983; Piore and Sabel, 1984; Mattioli, 2020), i.e., areas featuring a high concentration of workers and activities belonging to the same production specialisation, corresponding to the manufacturing-based Local Labour Systems identified by ISTAT. As regards the type of production (ISTAT), we highlight them in the mechanical sector – such as the Lecco metalworking district and the Premana cutting tools district, the Gardone armoury, the Lumezzane metallurgical district, and the Nave steel district in Valtrompia, the mechanical, metallurgical and steel district in Val Sabbia –, textiles and clothing – in Lario Intelvese and Valli Lario Ceresio, in Val Seriana, in Piambello and Valli del Verbano specialising in textile machinery –, ceramics in Laveno Mombello and rubber and plastics in Sebino Bresciano (Fig. 5).
Figure 5. Municipalities in industrial districts
Source: ISTAT (2019).
20Industrial districts are linked to long-standing local production, but it was after World War 2 that they experienced their greatest development and success, contributing to the spread of light manufacturing processes in artisan-industrial neighbourhoods of warehouses located throughout mountain areas, mainly in the lower valleys.
21It should be noted that, according to information gathered during research interviews with local actors, some businesses have relocated to the foothills and plains, especially in the Brescia area, in recent years due to better logistical conditions in terms of road accessibility (Brenner, Katsikis, 2020) and the availability of labour. With regard to the latter issue, local actors report difficulties in finding workers, partly due to the socio-demographic characteristics of the pre-Alpine valleys, where significant portions of the territory are experiencing demographic decline (Fig. 6), associated with sustained forms of ageing. Socio-demographic values are slightly better in the lower valleys due to the presence of new inhabitants, often of foreign origin, attracted by low-skilled job opportunities in the manufacturing industry (Perlik, Membretti, 2018). Some pre-Alpine areas thus have high numbers of foreigners, similar to the plains of the region (Fig. 7), with a consequent need for social and labour market inclusion.
Figure 6. Percentage change in resident population in the period 2011-2022 by municipality
Source: ISTAT 2022.
Figure 7. Incidence of foreign resident population by municipality (2022)
Source: DemoISTAT.
22Looking at manufacturing production, the data and analysis show that the pre-Alpine areas of Lombardy present a hybrid condition with the coexistence of three different territorial situations, namely, ordinary manufacturing areas undergoing transformation, i.e., neighbourhoods of prefabricated warehouses, with a high degree of soil sealing and low urban quality of open spaces, often consisting of waste land; exceptional medium-to-large-sized industries, innovative and dynamic, which act as territorial catalysts for the dissemination of new knowledge and the technological and organisational upgrading of local supply chains (Bonomi, 2020), as well as for the regeneration of their business spaces, consistent with the quality of their products. Finally, areas where deindustrialisation leaves large abandoned and polluted factories, causing unemployment, depopulation and urban decay, in the absence of a new vision for the future of the local economy.
23Thus, investigating the activities and production spaces in the pre-Alpine areas of Lombardy reveals various critical issues and, at the same time, some local resources. At least three main themes emerge which, despite the complexity and diversity of the various local situations, allow us to describe the phenomena of change taking place, but also to reflect on some policy recommendations for future territorial strategies.
24The first theme concerns the social, economic and environmental effects and consequences of industrial decommissioning processes. Heavy industries that established themselves between the 19th and 20th centuries (Fig. 8) became obsolete as early as the 1960s due to competition from fossil fuels, the development of mass motorization, and independence from the location of raw materials. In addition to these processes of abandonment and the decommissioning of mining activities, there has been a more recent erosion of small and medium-sized manufacturing plants as a result of the 2008 economic crisis and global competition. These various phenomena of decline affect significant spatial capital, which, in some cases, has been subject to processes of reconversion and transformation.
Figure 8. Abandoned industrial area in the inland area of Upper Lake Como and the Lario Valleys (Como)
Source: Agim Kërçuku (2022).
25Together with Val Sabbia and Val Seriana, Valtrompia, in the province of Brescia (Fig. 9), is a prime example of how these cycles have become spatialised in the Lombardy pre-Alps. Here, the signs of abandonment concern the extensive mining system, the buildings for the extraction of raw materials (such as the Torgola Mine in Collio), a more recent, smaller-scale decommissioning of warehouses (such as in Lumezzane), and a group of decommissioned hydroelectric power stations (such as the Beretta power station). Despite not being the only one, the “Via del Ferro” (Iron Route) is the project that best characterises the area's mining past. Indeed, the industrial past has been capitalised on through the restoration of the Pezzaze mines, the Tavernole furnace, and the Sarezzo hammers, which have been converted into museums. The S. Aloisio-Tassara mine has, instead, been converted into an adventure park with a view to leisure. In addition, the Graticelle mine is home to the ageing of “Nostrano Valtrompia DOP” cheese. This process is similar to that undertaken in the calamine mines of Dossena, in the Brembana Valley, with the local cheese “Ol Minadùr” (“The Miner”). These initiatives show how manufacturing in the pre-Alpine areas, with the legacy of its past, is capable of renewing itself, and of hybridising with new local economies, such as tourism and agri-food.
Figure 9. Valtrompia (Brescia): morphological and settlement characteristics, production and extraction areas, risk factors
Source: Agim Kërçuku (2022).
26Disused factories have been converted into cultural gathering places elsewhere, following a model that is more widespread in urban and metropolitan contexts but more difficult to apply in peripheral areas due to the scarcity of available resources, as demonstrated by the complex and protracted case of the former Cantoni cotton mill in Ponte Nossa (Val Seriana) (Adobati et al., 2021). Its reindustrialisation process is struggling to take off. Functional conversions – which are costly and complex – are mainly located in major urban centres, which are efficiently served by public transport, and more vibrant from a socio-economic point of view. This is the case of the redevelopment project for the former Arcisate knitwear factory, which closed in 2018. It is located in a strategic position in the centre of Valceresio, a few kilometres from Varese, near the local railway station. Purchased by the Comunità Montana del Piambello in 2023, it will have a multi-purpose use. In 2021, the “Prossima generazione Valle Camonica Ets” Foundation, promoted by the Comunità Montana di Valle Camonica e dell'Alto Sebino and Confindustria Brescia, was established in Valcamonica, where brownfield sites cover an area of approximately 700,000 square metres. The aim was to revive the valley's productivity, and develop innovative economic pathways without consuming further agricultural land, starting with the recovery of this vast existing capital, most of which needs to be reclaimed.
27The second theme concerns the pollution of the territory due to extensive and extreme forms of land exploitation, the presence of hazardous waste, and contaminated former industrial sites, besides the emergence of forms of renaturalisation and safety measures in production areas. Alongside the aforementioned mining capital conversion, a process of gradual renaturalisation can also be observed in Valtrompia, as in the case of the Torgola mine, where the soil and mining structures have been abandoned to natural processes of ecological succession and spontaneous colonisation by plant and animal species. With project “Valli resilienti” (Resilient Valleys), supported by the Cariplo Foundation and coordinated by the Comunità Montana della Val Trompia (Mountain Community of Val Trompia), polluted areas have been reclaimed, and some banks of the Mello river have been made safe to host the “Greenway Valli Resilienti”.
28The presence of production areas along watercourses is a particularly critical issue that raises two points for consideration. First, it makes it more complex to intervene continuously with a view to ecological and environmental redevelopment and the use of river and lake banks. Cases of decommissioning with significant funding create the conditions to integrate production areas into more extensive projects. For example, in Colico, the main centre of the Upper Lake Como and Lario Valleys, the approximately 4,800 square metre area of the former Cariboni site near the lakefront, reclaimed by the former owner and acquired by the municipality, was recovered during the first season of the SNAI areas. Now it houses a public park. Second, the location of production sites along watercourses creates situations of high hydrogeological risk everywhere (Fig. 10) with a particularly significant impact on businesses. In the Imagna Valley, for example, following the 2002 floods, many production activities were relocated to the lower valley or the Dalmine area.
29Extensive sealing of the soil, and the lack of vegetation in industrial areas make these environmental conditions even more critical. Hence, in Alzano Lombardo in Val Seriana, during the conversion of the former Pigna paper mill into a 33,000 square metre multifunctional accommodation and leisure complex, particular attention was paid to the treatment of the outdoor space (12,000 square metres) with the aim of increasing permeability and vegetation cover within the site, thus reducing environmental risks and heat islands. Today, the “Spazio Fase” complex features large green areas, as well as workspaces and meeting places, which host socio-cultural events of supra-local importance. It is easily accessible from Bergamo and its train station via the TEB tramway, built on the site of the disused railway line.
Figure 10. Valcamonica (Brescia): morphological and settlement characteristics, production and extraction areas, risk factors
Source: Agim Kërçuku (2022).
30Finally, with regard to the decarbonisation of valleys and industry, especially those linked to the most energy-intensive production, the research has identified a number of experiences aimed at reducing the environmental impact of production activities. Despite being interesting opportunities, their sporadic nature is a critical factor. One such initiative is being implemented in Valcamonica (Fig. 11), where a diverse group of entities (Edison Next, Comunità Montana, Bacino Imbrifero Montano (BIM), Consorzio Valle Camonica Servizi) signed an agreement in 2022 for the development of a territorial platform which, among the various solutions proposed, introduces the local production of “green” hydrogen to be used also to upgrade the railway line still present in the valley.
Figure 11. Production areas in Valcamonica located along a heavily canalised watercourse
Source: Bruna Vendemmia (2022).
31The final issue concerns the fragile territorial conditions resulting from the lack of welfare services that support (and attract) workers with the aim of responding to emerging social demands. This issue is linked to problems of accessibility, mobility and digitalisation, but also to the wealth represented by the presence of numerous trade associations, trade unions, and local actors, the intermediaries in planning and implementing interventions involving the population and the territory. This is the case of the “Beatrice” territorial welfare project, promoted in Val Seriana by a number of actors, including some small and medium-sized enterprises. It systematises the vast existing territorial capital, consisting of nurseries, canteens, sports facilities and medical equipment, making it accessible to workers.
32This approach innovates and expands corporate welfare policies, which are often associated with the expansion and redevelopment of production spaces but are limited to the company's workers. A case in point is the Sanpellegrino mineral water production company in Valle Brembana, where a major restyling project of the production spaces is underway. Along with energy efficiency and saving measures, the project includes the construction of a new company canteen, a new break area and a gym, which, according to the company's plans, are designed to increase the well-being of workers. The project also has a significant impact on the local area. Indeed, the new road system and the access bridge to the plant are designed to reduce heavy vehicle traffic in the town centre, and to serve as a modern landmark for the entire valley (Fig. 12). With the “Factory of the Future”, the company premises are integrated into the surrounding valley, thus combining production and tourism.
33Training is also increasingly becoming part of corporate welfare because, as mentioned, the loss of human capital is one of the most critical issues reported by local stakeholders during the workshops. The experience of Luino, in Piambello and Valli del Verbano is of particular interest in this regard. Together with local companies and a training institute, Confindustria Varese has recently launched a new Higher Technical Education and Training (IFTS) course in robotics and automation in the town. The course is part of the new “Varese 2050 Strategic Plan”, which aims to respond to the demand for new technical and professional skills, with particular reference to small and medium-sized enterprises and the most internationalised sectors. Similarly, in Valcamonica, professional degree courses have been launched in collaboration with several Lombardy universities (the University of Milan and the University of Brescia) to make tertiary education more accessible to young people – without them having to move elsewhere – but also to attract students from outside the area with courses of excellence linked to the mountains and local production, as is the case with Unimont in Edolo, which also has a boarding school.
34These cases highlight the demand of local entrepreneurs and training institutions to design high-quality training courses that look beyond current production, foreshadowing new specialisations that are more consistent with a less environmentally impactful development model linked to the knowledge economy.
Figure 12. The new headquarters of the Sanpellegrino industry in the middle Brembana Valley (Bergamo)
Source: Cristiana Mattioli (2022).
35Despite the specific nature of the different situations considered, viewing the pre-Alpine areas through the lens of manufacturing production prompts at least two reflections, which can contribute to the academic discussion on inland mountain areas, while also informing and guiding policy-makers. The first, which is geographical, is connected with governance systems and the strategic vision for the territories. The second, instead, concerns planning, and is linked to issues of ecological and urban regeneration.
36It must first be said that the pre-Alpine areas suggest a critical view of the very concept of “internal area”, as defined by EU and national policies. The data and numerous experiences cited in this paper show that pre-Alpine areas have locational, infrastructural, demographic, socio-economic and environmental characteristics – including the presence of manufacturing activities – that differ from those of more peripheral mountain areas. In this regard, the local pathways explored by the research project often revealed the difficulty of considering territories featuring such different traits and needs. The research carried out also highlighted how, when defining analyses and strategies, it does not suffice to only observe what is happening within the perimeter of a single internal area, especially when considering production. A multi-scale view is, instead, necessary, one that takes into account material flows – such as goods, logistics and workforce movements – and immaterial flows, including skills, innovation and financial exchanges. Thus, in order to understand what Valtrompia is today, it is important to study it in relation to Val Sabbia and the Bergamo Lakes and Sebino Bresciano areas, which are also connected to Valcamonica, which in turn is connected to Val di Scalve, Val Seriana, Valtellina, and the Trentino Valleys. Finally, the area is also connected to long networks, such as global value chains that transcend regional and national boundaries, linking up pre-Alpine businesses with the world (Bertrand, George-Marcelpoil, 2016).
37In view of this, discussions with local stakeholders have repeatedly highlighted the urgent need for coordination between the various institutional levels, including municipalities, mountain communities, provinces, metropolitan cities and regions, as well as collaboration with private sector stakeholders, trade associations and civil society. In these intermediate contexts, a unified supra-local strategy appears to be essential in order to address key challenges, including resource management, commercial attraction, demographic stability and the revitalisation of declining industrial areas.
38In order to define such a large-scale strategy, as urban planning researchers, we were called upon not only to read and interpret the transformations taking place in the territories, recognising certain development trajectories, but also to propose priority themes and possible project actions that could reorient the trajectories underway. The purpose was to make the pre-Alpine and Alpine contexts of Lombardy “desirable” and attractive places to live and work in, especially for populations leaving the Po Valley in search of places presenting higher environmental quality (Membretti, 2024). Hence, we asked ourselves whether and how the manufacturing areas located in the pre-Alpine valleys could contribute to a new vision for marginal mountain areas.
39As already mentioned, the pre-Alpine production areas – like, more generally, the production areas of the Alpine arc – are simultaneously home to situations of obsolescence and innovation, episodes of growth and decline, situations of risk and opportunity linked to local conditions (such as sectors of specialisation, level of infrastructure, local facilities, etc.) and global processes. In particular, there is a coexistence of decommissioning processes along with a demand for new production spaces (Gros-Balthazard, Talandier, 2023), and the two aspects do not interact effectively. In fact, site visits have revealed that brownfield sites are often in a state of persistent abandonment and degradation, while production warehouses of poor architectural quality are being built elsewhere, contributing to land consumption, sometimes even in contexts featuring a high hydrogeological risk.
40This approach is far removed from the one aimed at recycling and reusing existing structures proposed by Mostafavi and Akiyoshi (2024), which has a strong impact on the unique environmental dimension that characterises mountain areas.
41Site visits and workshops with local actors indicate two priority themes with regard to the recovery of pre-Alpine production contexts. Such aspects are also included in various “Strategic Agendas” for inland areas of Lombardy.
42The first concerns recovery and reclamation of the many sites that are still abandoned, with a view to use them for different purposes, depending on the needs and settlement-environmental conditions. The post-industrial redevelopment experiences mentioned in this paper are mostly linked to their functional reuse to either host collective services or for other productive activities. Action is rarely taken to achieve more extensive environmental restoration, even to ensure climate change adaptation and risk management, especially in the impermeable areas of the valley floor, located along watercourses. The Colico lakefront presents an interesting case. Indeed, the creation of a public park in a former industrial area has strengthened a primary ecological corridor, thus reconnecting fragmented habitats, supporting biodiversity, and improving environmental quality. As in this case, forms of demolition and renaturalisation can be implemented for landscape or risk-related reasons, as well as due to market disinterest in certain areas.
43This example shows how brownfield sites can serve as strategic locations for implementing design solutions to mitigate heat waves, manage rainwater, and reduce hydrogeological risks. Furthermore, as stated by Galluzzi et al. (2020), the recovery of unused production sites could also promote more sustainable economic growth in marginal Alpine areas, supporting businesses in the green economy, cultural tourism and slow tourism. During the workshops, many local actors said they wanted to focus on these areas in the future. The lack of specific skills and the risk of duplication of interventions are, in this case, the most widespread critical issues currently analysed by many areas.
44The second project theme concerns the need to rethink ecological-environmental and urban quality, as well as the functioning of the many valley floor areas that are home to industrial warehouses. The importance of their urban regeneration is linked to their consolidation and expansion in terms of production, but also to the fact that these spaces often represent actual “gateways” to the territories. Such places, which are visible even from the top of the mountains, are today characterised by poor urban and landscape quality. They present a factor of degradation for the pre-Alpine areas, as well as an unattractive and uncomfortable environment for the many people who work there.
45Despite their importance, the post-war production areas still in operation are almost never the subject of intervention in the contexts investigated. The cases illustrated show how it is difficult to go beyond maintenance and replacement, or, at most, energy and architectural redevelopment of existing buildings, often carried out by multinational companies, as is the case in Val Seriana and Valtrompia. However, these operations remain confined within the perimeter of the lot, with little attention paid to the quality of urban space or soil permeability to reduce heat islands and increase urban drainage.
- 6 See the interesting European project “Ecole - ECO industrial park network for the Alpine Regions Le (...)
46However, some masterplans and projects in Alpine contexts6, such as that of San Pellegrino Terme, propose a different approach, which is open to the outside, and combines economy, welfare and territorial regeneration (Lanzani et al., 2021). This type of intervention especially highlights how private individuals are also involved, either individually or in association, in territorial regeneration projects. Furthermore, embracing the territory integrates interventions in productive areas into larger territorial systems, thus developing “productive ecologies” (Sega, 2018) that involve green and blue infrastructure, i.e., ecological-environmental systems featuring open green spaces and water.
47If it is implemented at the internal area level, as proposed in the “Strategic Agendas” and discussed during the workshops with stakeholders, such an approach could improve the provision of ecosystem services on a large scale, including climate regulation, water purification, carbon sequestration, and the development of accessible green spaces that promote community well-being, starting with workers.
48Finally, another much-debated issue concerned the accessibility of production areas for people and goods. During the workshops, operators and administrators often requested easier road connections and more widespread digital networks (Bürgin et al., 2022). This highlights the essential role of public infrastructure works, at least in the major production centres in the valley, in offering businesses added value facilities to reduce the currently high costs associated with the geographical marginality of production sites, besides public and sustainable mobility services that also enhance greater connectivity between the valley floor and the side valleys (Corrado, Sega, 2021).
49When defining the boundaries of inland areas in Lombardy, the Region made a specific choice based on appropriate indicators. It also included the pre-Alpine valleys, with their urban and productive centres. This made the process of defining “area strategies” more complex for local actors, and contentious due to the diversity of territorial conditions, needs and objectives within each area. However, this strategy allowed to include the intermediate contexts mentioned in the introduction in territorial policies. They were usually left on the margins, despite their important relational role in territorial planning and management processes.
50The analytical approach proposed in this paper underscores how the pre-Alpine areas of Lombardy are not simply transitional spaces. They are central and dynamic elements of the inland mountain areas and, more generally, of the productive system of northern Italy. The evidence gathered in the 14 areas studied indicates that the demographic and economic vitality of these areas is linked both to the presence of manufacturing, and to their ability to manage a hybrid identity. This manifests through constant tension between the decline of traditional heavy industries and the emergence of new productive and economic sectors that can act as catalysts for community renewal.
51The presence of economic activities is significant in pre-Alpine areas. These are not residual businesses. They are often medium-sized companies, leaders in their sector, and part of global value chains. While providing employment opportunities and possibilities for supra-local exchange, production occupies large portions of the valley floor, with externalities in terms of congestion, pollution, resource consumption and urban degradation. Alongside these vital situations, there are also large areas of brownfield sites that are hard to include in urban transformation processes due to the high costs of remediation and lack of demand.
52Demographic data and the local stakeholders interviewed agree that job opportunities in the manufacturing sector are crucial for resilience against depopulation. However, this dynamic is not without structural challenges, such as the ageing of the local population and the growing need for policies to include new residents of foreign origin, who are heavily involved in the production process in the lower valleys. Hence, some local administrators and entrepreneurs believe that territorial competitiveness can no longer be solely considered in terms of logistical efficiency or low land costs, i.e., new roads and urbanisation. The area strategies developed, instead, point towards the overall “desirability” of the territory, where the quality of living and working spaces, training and the regeneration of degraded (industrial) environments become key resources for attracting both capital and population.
53An analysis of policies implemented in the past and of those proposed for the future highlights the interest of various local stakeholders in issues partly related to production innovation – such as the proposal for training activities for workers – and partly to its replacement or integration. The latter would involve the creation of spaces and conditions for remote working in order to attract remote workers, and the development of other economies, such as tourism, which potentially compete with manufacturing in terms of labour employment. These issues were addressed in workshops conducted in various inland areas, especially thanks to the presence of intermediaries from the economic scene who highlighted potential and critical issues, and discussed possible strategic solutions with the authors.
54Although projects and initiatives of interest are emerging in the territories concerning the need to reuse abandoned areas, to enhance and capitalise on the industrial past, to provide services for workers, and to ensure environmental sustainability, including in terms of corporate branding, many areas of intervention on productive spaces remain unexplored.
55In fact, unlike other topics covered in the research project – for example, innovation in public services – the analysis of the “area strategies” developed by local stakeholders to access funding shows that proposals for the regeneration of production areas have rarely been incorporated into local policies.
56While the recovery and repurposing of disused former industrial areas is an issue that has been extensively addressed, even in the first season of the SNAI, the regeneration and innovation of active production areas has been scarcely explored and even approached with concrete actions that are part of local visions.
57Conversations with local actors and news reports reveal this has mainly happened because of the difficulties encountered at governance level in designing integrated policies and projects on a supra-local scale, such as, for instance, between the productive and environmental components. It is also the outcome of restrictions imposed by EU funds, which are geared towards certain types of intervention or procedures. In conclusion, in light of these difficulties, we believe it is important to emphasise the significance of understanding and intervening in pre-Alpine territories, starting from and focusing on manufacturing areas. As emerged from the workshops conducted during the research, production can be a crucial issue in the definition of territorial policies for revitalisation and regeneration that combine intangible actions, such as training, with interventions on spaces. The presence of a conscious and well-established industry can provide the infrastructure and knowledge necessary to undertake socio-ecological transition processes in pre-Alpine areas, with repercussions on the entire regional balance.
58As discussed, due to their intermediate position and relational role, as well as their daily use, an intervention in workplaces in pre-Alpine contexts can prevent industry from (still) being an obstacle to environmental conservation. It can also promote a model of territorial development in which production and quality of life in medium-altitude mountain areas – closer to supra-local centres and services – can coexist and build on each other.