Territorial Cohesion in the Sicily’s Planning 2014-2020. What are Policy Choices for not being isolated/islanders?

In the past five decades the concentration of the population along the northern and eastern coasts of Sicily was strengthened, especially in the metropolitan areas, increasing the differences between urbanized, congested areas but with services, and inner areas, isolated, sparsely populated and almost completely lacking in basic services. Whole towns in inner areas are increasingly assuming the appearance of ‘ghost towns’ with very few residents and a very few youths having very few skills that can be effective in the labour market (Novembre, 2015). Furthermore, the phenomenon of environmental instability has been intensified due to the hydro-geological instability and the deterio- ration of landscape values, also caused by the abandonment of agricultural lands when they are not exploited to produce income. It is urgent and necessary to adopt policies that favour real territorial cohesion (Ministero della Coesione Territoriale, 2012).