Oltrepò Pavese
Pavia, Italy
The Oltrepò Pavese is part of the province of Pavia, Lombardy Region, and it is an area that stretches from the flat plains in the north, through a hilly central zone, to a mountainous area in the south. It has high environmental and landscape value. However, especially in the mountainous areas, it is relatively hard to access and economically weaker compared to the rest of the region. For some time, Oltrepò Pavese has been experiencing string population ageing and depopulation processes
What we're doing
Within the Common Access project, we are:
- Conducting multiple interviews with local stakeholders, including public administrations, NGOs, and other providers of community services
- Mapping and analyzing the initiatives developed in the area, looking at both their strengths and the weaknesses that, in some cases, led to their discontinuation
- Identifying the legacy of these experiences and assessing their social impacts
We chose to focus on this territory—particularly on the municipalities in the mountainous area—because in recent years it has been the site of several innovative commoning accessibility initiatives to contrast the ongoing dynamics of depopulation and ageing. Understanding the factors that have enabled or constrained these initiatives, in terms of governance, participation, and impacts, is important to assess to what extent community-based actions can help counteract processes of territorial decline.
Latest Workshop
- Between 2024 and 2025, we carried out several interviews with local actors, and additional interviews are planned in the coming months. The Oltrepò Pavese area will also host the Common Access project meeting scheduled for late 2026.
A vast and varied Lombardy landscape. Villages with a history of finding their own solutions. Collaborating with COMMON_ACCESS to explore the future of rural connectivity.
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