A Review of Italian Academic Literature and Public Policies on Territorial Cohesion

This working paper analyses the studies carried out by the academic literature on territorial development in Italy. Specifically, particular attention will be paid to studies on territorial cohesion. This text is divided into three parts. The first part analyses the fundamental aspects of the literature concerning Italian territorial development, using as basis the seminal contribution of Arnaldo Bagnasco, Tre Italie (1977). The second part is focused on the role played by public policies aimed at fostering territorial development. Finally, the conclusions summarise the main results emerging from this review and highlights the connection between scholarly debate on territorial development and local development policy design.