Abandoned Areas, New Opportunities: Smarties for SMEs supports Sustainable Regeneration

Innovation, sustainability and economic opportunities to rediscover the potential of abandoned areas, thanks to Smarties for SMEs

The abandonment of historic villages, rural areas and disused industrial districts is a complex phenomenon, with economic, social and structural reasons behind it.The main cause lies in the decline of industry: people gradually move away from many areas that were once a core part of the local economic fabric, due to growing automation and manufacturing being offshored. This leads to fewer job opportunities, which in turn leads to depopulation and businesses closing, with whole neighbourhoods and rural areas ending up deserted and derelict.

Historic villages are often abandoned because they hold little appeal for younger people, who prefer to move to big cities in search of job opportunities and a social life. Despite their rich history and culture, these villages cannot compete with urban society. They are in danger of becoming “ghost” settlements that are incapable of attracting new human and economic resources.

Similarly, growing agricultural mechanisation and the abandonment of small plots of land by younger generations have contributed to the decline of rural areas. Difficulty finding employment and gradual depopulation have been key factors in abandonment. On top of this, there is often a lack of suitable redevelopment policies. Areas are left with no strategic plan to unlock the potential of resources and create new opportunities.

However, it should be noted that some efforts are being made to turn the situation around. Under certain initiatives, urban renewal measures are being proposed in an attempt to bring life and development back to places that would otherwise remain disused. For instance, take the Smarties for SMEs project. As well as aiming to revitalise the economies of small areas through innovation and sustainability, it provides local communities with new business models and job opportunities, creating synergy between the tourism, agrifood and environmental sustainability ecosystems.

An opportunity for environmental redevelopment

Although abandoned areas can serve as exceptional resources for environmental redevelopment, they are often not tapped. Instead of being simply forgotten, they can be regenerated and serve a purpose, not only for communities but also for the environment. A sustainable approach should be taken when redeveloping these areas, with the goal of restoring their ecological, cultural and social significance.

Sustainable redevelopment must aim to reduce environmental impact and intelligently harness natural resources. For example, derelict buildings can be renovated in an eco-friendly way. This may involve the use of recycled materials or installation of energy-saving equipment such as solar panels and geothermal systems.

In addition, these sites can be turned into green spaces like urban gardens or parks, which promote biodiversity and improve local people’s quality of life.

Creating social spaces is another key factor. Disused areas can be redesigned and made into gathering places, where people can meet, work and carry out cultural, artistic or recreational activities. As well as improving the appearance and functionality of sites, measures of this kind also nurture a strong sense of community, by giving local people a place of their own and enabling them to play an active part in designing and looking after it.

In addition, the use of green technologies and smart solutions – such as renewable energy and rainwater harvesting systems – can offer long-term sustainability, reduce the environmental impact of these areas and make them more resilient to climate change.

Types of action

When redeveloping disused areas, it is crucial to take sustainable, innovative approaches that can be adapted to different types of territories, from rural sites and historic villages to disused industrial districts. The objective of every initiative must be to bring out the best in abandoned sites, promoting environmental and social renewal and making them into liveable, useful places. Various methods can be used to create stronger, more sustainable communities.

For instance, cultural heritage and historic assets can be turned to account. Historic buildings or industrial facilities can be preserved, restored and transformed into public places, while safeguarding their cultural and symbolic value. Examples of this approach are offered by the redevelopment of former factories and industrial districts, in projects in which architectural rehabilitation has a core role. These sites are often converted into museums, art and culture centres, or research and innovation facilities, thus tying together the past and the future. 

Another approach that is attracting more and more attention is the eco-friendly and sustainable model, which aims to turn disused sites into green spaces and ecological urban areas that promote biodiversity and improve environmental quality. Transforming industrial areas into parks, urban gardens, community gardens or environmental education centres brings numerous benefits not just aesthetically, but also in terms of public health and individual wellbeing.

Meanwhile, social innovation and the creation of business hubs can pave the way to economic recovery. The aim in these cases is to turn disused areas into start-up incubators, coworking spaces, creative workshops or tech hubs. The approach caters to the need for economic growth and the promotion of local business initiatives, helping to create new jobs and offer young people a way into the labour market. 

Finally, the community engagement model is becoming increasingly popular due to the way it gets local people involved in the process of planning measures and putting them into practice. Thanks to initiatives revolving around active participation, local people can contribute to the transformation of their neighbourhoods, by deciding how spaces will be used and helping to run and look after them. Projects of this kind have proved to be an effective means not only of physically redeveloping spaces, but also of strengthening the sense of community and social cohesion.