Industrial decline and resilience in small towns: evidence from three European case studies

This paper concerns the future of small towns with an old industrial specialisation which have undergone growth processes during the 1900s and now experience de-industrialisation and identity crises in an economic scenario characterised by the role played by global cities and emerging countries. The concept of resilience has been adopted as the main analytical tool to study this phenomenon. Following an evolutionary approach, resilience is here understood as the dynamic capabilities a system can use to react to negative events and changes, to emphasise its distinctive contextual factors and promote new development trajectories, by also considering the contribution of institutions and urban strategies. With regard to the empirical part of the research, three comparable small industrial towns have been examined: Sochaux, the historical town of Peugeot; Ivrea, developed around the Olivetti company; Pontedera, the town of Piaggio and the famous Vespa.