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Cover -- Half Title -- Series Page -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Table of Contents -- List of figures -- List of tables -- Acknowledgments -- Foreword -- Introduction -- 1. Mobility and the spatial perspective -- 2. Research method -- 3. Mobility in the Italian context: Data and urban contexts -- 4. Reversible mobility the length and breadth of Italy: Redefining rhythms and territories -- 5. What spaces for highly mobile people? -- 6. Conclusions -- 7. Post-face opening: Working on mobility from people -- Bibliography -- Index.

The concept of basic needs and essential services evolves according to sociocultural parameters. Therefore, defining marginality based on the distance from a predefined set of services, institutionally considered essential for life, may lead to an unfocused representation of marginal and more fragile areas.
This work focuses on a territory located on the Apennine of the Province of Piacenza, northern Italy. These mountainous areas are characterized by significant shrinking processes, ageing population, low income and educational rate, unemployment, and by work/study-related mobility practices over long distances and at high speed, revealing low levels of attractivity and significant dependence on more dynamic areas of the region. Moreover, according to the National Italian Strategy for Inner Areas, they have been identified as inner areas because of the high distance from main services.
Starting from quantitative research based on availability, location, and accessibility to a set of services considered essential, the present work aims to reconsider and integrate this desk-based approach with an on-site qualitative survey, thanks to interviews with inhabitants and persons with special knowledge of the territory as well as participant observation.
The hypothesis is that, particularly in low density and peripheral areas, a mixed-methods research methodology that includes the accounts of populations and local stakeholders may help to extend the knowledge of their actual needs and their willingness to travel, thus reconsidering their accessibility to what they perceive as essential services and, consequently, redefining the notion of marginal and fragile territories.

What are the different factors that make a territory marginal? Are contextual features related to spatial, socio-economic, institutional, or cultural elements differently influencing marginality in different countries? These are the questions at the origin of this Special Issue. To explore the complexity of territorial marginality and the several dimensions that contribute to defining it, this Special Issue collects seven works that explore conceptual issues, possible conflicts, and challenges for developing marginal territories. We explore the conditions that cause or define marginality, the dimensions that should structure a definition, suitable quantitative and qualitative indicators to classify marginal territories, and the features of territorial policies and strategies to address them. The papers explore different meanings of marginality using diverse research methods: quantitative approaches address the use of cultural heritage, population ageing, the lack of infrastructures and the limitations of existing policy approaches; mixed-method approaches combine statistical indicators with qualitative methods to explore landscape features and workspaces in marginal areas; finally, qualitative approaches analyse causes and impact of marginality in everyday life.

Il paper analizza la geografia delle aree marginali in Italia a partire dai cpontenuti della Strategia Nazionale Aree Interne (SNAI) che ha elaborato, nel 2014, una classificazione delle "Aree Interne" del territorio Italiano, identificandole con le aree marginali che distano almeno 20 minuti dai "centri", quei luoghi dove è possibile accedere ai tre diritti fondamentali di cittadinanza (educazione, salute e mobilità). Il paper mette in discussione la classificazione elaborata dalla SNAI per le aree Interne attraverso l'uso di altre variabili che la letteratura internazionale in tema di accessibilità indica come fattori scatenanti di forme di marginalità. La finalità è sviluppare un metodo di valutazione dell'accessibilità che tenga in considerazione anche i bisogni e le opportunità dell'individuo. Una prima fase di analisi, a scala nazionale, permette di identificare e descrivere le aree marginali, attraverso la mappatura di diversi indicatori quantitativi che porta alla definizione di tre cluster relativi a indicatori socio-economici, demografici e di mobilità. Il confronto tra questi cluster e la classificazione dei diversi livelli di accessibilità definiti dalla SNAI evidenzia quelle aree in cui diversi fattori di fragilità confluiscono così da progettare politiche più efficaci per il miglioramento e la gestione dei territori fragili e marginali.

What are the different factors that make a territory marginal? Are contextual features related to spatial, socioeconomic, institutional, or cultural elements differently influencing marginality in different countries? These are the questions at the origin of this Special Issue.
Marginal areas are traditionally defined as those far from the main urban centres, based on a core-periphery model (Cullen & Pretes, 2000; Gatzweiler & Baumüller, 2014; Herrschel, 2012; Ferrau & Lopes, 2004; Bock, 2016). From this perspective, marginality is an intrinsic spatial condition rather than a transient feature. However, the geographic distance from the poles is only one among the many conditions that can help to define marginality, which could be better defined as a process deeply influenced by socioeconomic changes (Máliková, Farrell, McDonagh, 2016). Marginal regions can be peripheral in geographical location but advanced regarding their socioeconomic situation. On the other hand, not every marginal Region is necessarily peripheral: on the contrary, several studies suggest an interpretation of marginality as a lack of socioeconomic and political connection (Leimgruber, 2004; Pelc, 2006; Bock, 2016).
Moreover, in European countries such as Germany, France and Italy, the concept of marginality has often been associated with rural or mountainous areas. Still, different contributions to this Special Issue show that marginal territories may have very diverse geographical and orographic conditions. In addition, the scale at which a region can be defined as marginal and the administrative borders may also significantly influence the definition of marginality itself.
The lack of a broad, shared definition of marginality affects the identification of marginal territories and the possibility of developing adequate territorial policies to rebalance their marginal condition. Europe shows different attempts at defining marginal territories before proposing devoted policies. For example, Italy refers to the concept of "inner areas" (Materiali Uval, 2014), while the Espon (2017) project PROFECY refers to "inner peripheries". The different names given to marginal territories and the different definitions of marginality require exploring the meaning of considering the other features that may make a territory marginal. As a result, marginality should move from the core-periphery model that considers accessibility to services and goods and distance from central places, considering how a combination of physical, social, economic, institutional and cultural aspects defines marginal territories.

Cities play a major role in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic as many measures are adopted at the scale of cities and involve adjustments to the way urban areas operate. Drawing from case studies across the globe, this book explores how the pandemic and the policies it has prompted have caused changes in the ways cities function. The contributors examine the advancing social inequality brought on by the pandemic and suggest policies intended to contain contagion whilst managing the economy in these circumstances. Offering crucial insights for reforming cities to be more resilient to future crises, this is an invaluable resource for scholars and policy makers alike