Rethinking the Province is a university tour across Italy exploring how young people imagine the future of inland and non-metropolitan areas. Through open discussions, workshops and editorial activities, VD News meets students in four universities to understand what it means to stay, leave or return to the province — and what conditions would make these territories places of opportunity rather than necessity.
The tour collects insights, stories and proposals directly from Gen Z, connecting the Italian debate to a broader European context where rural depopulation and territorial imbalance are shared challenges. All contributions gathered along the way will lead to the creation of a Manifesto for the Future Provinces, a policy-oriented document to be presented to institutions and stakeholders.
This project is part of Sphera’s mission to amplify local voices, highlight systemic inequalities across Europe and promote a new, transnational understanding of what it means to build a future outside major metropolitan centres.
Cosenza – Università della Calabria (October 24th)
Pavia – Università degli studi di Pavia (October 28th)
Potenza – Università della Basilicata (November 18th)
Campobasso – Università del Molise (November 19th)
