Internal migration in Italy: mapping shrinking in medium-size cities

This paper aims at analysing the causes of internal migrations in Italy that provoke population decline and shrinking in some areas of the country, with a particular regard to medium-sized cities that, despite being considered in many cases central places for accessing services provision, are experiencing phenomena of shrinking. These territories are characterised by a recent but strong process of demographic contraction, poor mobility and lack of services, yet these areas have historically made the country’s wealth and diversity. Contrasting and comparing different statistical data at national scale, this work projects to identify the emerging geographies of demographic loss in Italy, with particular reference to medium-sized cities. As matter of fact, observing these places and their populations allows us to grasp more radically the fragility linked to population shrinking in urban contexts, the reason behind it and the extent of the ongoing transformations.