Sviluppo territoriale e strategie di modernizzazione

In this paper is discussed the neoliberal approach embedded in the EU regional and urban development plans. This approach sets clearly boundaries to the understanding of the socio-economic barriers about the modernization especially in disadvantaged areas. Our analysis wishes to stress the peculiar interpretation that such Eu planning designs for some areas of Southern Italy. In short, we hypothesize that this supranational indications have limited the possibilities for the local governments to deal with the multidimensional nature of the underdevelopment condition and to identify appropriate policies. Here we discuss the not-translation of these reflections in the plans that, instead, are characterized of a “soft economicism”. In this case, Naples and its metropolitan area are a paradigmatic example of how the European interventionism has moved away policy-makers both from the economic, social and institutional difficulties of the territory and to the adoption of adeguate planning actions to partially overcome local hurdles.