Small-Town Renaissance: Bridging Technology, Heritage, and Planning in Shrinking Italy

By Brent D. Ryan (Springer Nature, 2025). This book explores the transformative power of digitization in rural regions, where technology isn't just a tool, but a lifeline for local culture, economic resilience, and future development. Born from a unique research collaboration between the MIT and Politecnico di Milano, this book brings together scholarly work on shrinking towns, economic development, and digital innovation. The project tackled some of the most pressing challenges facing rural Italy, from population decline to economic stagnation, through the lens of digital transformation.