Futuri dentro: innescare innovazione civica nelle aree interne

Abstract

This article presents Futuri dentro as a pioneering experience of participatory foresight applied to the regeneration of inner mountain areas in Italy. Through the “School for Future Custodians” in Val Saviore and Valle Antigorio Formazza, the project demonstrates how long-term scenario thinking, combined with community psychology and transformative storytelling, can counter processes of “de-futurization” and present-oriented stagnation. Moving beyond purely cognitive and top-down approaches, the initiative highlights the need to first reactivate relational and intrapsychic dimensions within communities, restoring their capacity to imagine and act upon future possibilities. By empowering local actors as “custodians of the future” and activating community-based future labs, the project fosters civic innovation, strengthens social cohesion, and translates latent possibilities into concrete territorial actions. The experience shows how future-oriented narratives can function as social infrastructures, generating engagement and multiplying impact across local ecosystems.