Ri-attrezzare le valli per rigenerare i territori della montagna

For some years now, at the University of Trieste, research by design has been developed on marginalized contexts in the region Friuli Venezia Giulia, starting from a critical reading of the spatial perimeters of the National Strategy for Inner Areas (SNAI). With the new 2021-27 programming period, the regional SNAI map has undergone some changes. However, the picture still suffers from a mismatch with the settlement structure of mountain territories. This is particularly evident if we look at the valley centres along the river Tagliamento, where Tolmezzo and its neighbouring municipalities – being a reference for the whole urban system of the Carnic hills – do not fall within the SNAI areas. The focus of this article is on the construction of valley-mountain integrated spatial visions for these contexts. Based on discussion with local institutions, social and economic actors, the proposed perspective is that of the 'territorial project', understood as a process and a device entailing a set of complementary actions: the interpretation of the relationships between topography, valley sections and settlement structure; the recognition of networks of resources, facilities and economic activities; the selection of places fitting to the accommodation and rethinking of the uses and management of collective equipment (for education, economy, social and health care, mobility).