Comunità reticolari alla prova della decrescita in aree rurali fragili

The paper draws inspiration from the concept of "networked communities," a relatively new and theoretically challenging construct rooted in the space of flows and social ties. These two concepts are generally seen as dissociated: networks that exclude residential spaces. However, fruitful combinations can be envisioned to capture the propensity of fragile rural areas to decrease material and energy consumption. The paper examines the connection between networked communities and degrowth in illustrative terms, through a comparative analysis of two Ferrara municipalities with varying degrees of rurality and fragility. A weak connection emerges that is consistent with the hypothesis - more networked community, less consumption - but in a sense that does not favorable to more rural areas.