Smart working, an opportunity for triggering building recovery processes and reducing territorial inequalities?/ Smart working, un’opportunità per attivare processi di recupero dell’ambiente costruito e ridurre le disuguaglianze territoriali?

The paper examines the relationship between social innovation and territorial development in marginalised Italian areas affected by depopulation, ageing, and the abandonment of built heritage. While urban centres continue to attract young people seeking employment and personal growth, the COVID-19 pandemic facilitated a temporary trend reversal through remote working, encouraging some workers to return to their places of origin. This return, coupled with initiatives like the "South working®" network, demonstrates the potential for territorial regeneration by fostering collaborative and innovative uses of underused spaces. The study focuses on how smart working and bottom-up initiatives contribute to local development by enhancing social cohesion, reusing abandoned spaces, and creating new economic opportunities. The paper proposes a research agenda aimed at evaluating the long-term impact of these initiatives on the regeneration of marginalised areas, asking whether they primarily involve space reuse or also activate processes of human resource enhancement, skills development, and local regeneration.