Out of the Public: The Archipelago Alternative

The transformative potential of tensions in medial territories takes the form of an archipelago of interrelated private stakeholders triggering spatial development. This self-regulating governance model reinforces the alliances between the second and the third sector and leaves the public institution out of the development discourse by defining new actors, new competencies, and new imaginaries. Moreover, since this strengthening of the fabric of society arises from the tension between territories, it is specifically visible in medial territories and is a key feature of planetary urbanization. Far away from laissez-faire, the territorial tension promotes a redefinition of the concept of governance based on the principle of subsidiarity where the main risk is preserving the general interest over private and individual interests. After considering the cases previously presented within the book, the chapter focuses on three experiences from the territory of Biella, Italy: Biella Creative City, Fondazione BIellezza, and the “Demopraxy” program, the example of Bonprix.