Improving Accessibility to Reverse Marginalisation Processes in Valle Arroscia, Italy

Italy is characterised by an historical network of cities and villages spread across the country. In a large part of the territory, people’s quality of life is negatively affected by the distance from services of general interest. Valle Arroscia, a small valley in the Maritime Alps suffering from rural-to-urban migration and marginalisation, is a typical example of this situation. Its towns and hamlets are dispersed over a wide mountainous territory, often far away from the main valley road. Most trips are made by car, and the public transport system fails to meet the need of the few who rely on it. Hence, while car users are not in search of alternatives, some social groups suffer from a territorial assignment. Aiming at shedding light on this situation, the chapter discusses the main conditions and challenges for improving accessibility in Valle Arroscia. In so doing, it reflects upon the fragmentation of competences and priorities and the lack of vertical coordination between the stakeholders involved in public transport planning and implementation. At the same time, it argues that the scarce influence of local stakeholders on upper-level authorities and the legislation, licensing, and operation of public transport pose a number of limits to the introduction of flexible transport solutions.