Does future mean city life? While our cities grow bigger and bigger and people struggle for space and affordable living, rural areas are suffering from depopulation and overaging. For years Italy has been searching for solutions to repopulate villages, even selling houses for 1€ and paying people to move. Nevertheless living a rural life seems to get less and less attractive because of missing infrastructure, cultural offers and lack of jobs. On the other hand many people long for more personal space, a closer connection to nature and stronger communities, thus being open to rural life qualities but not without decent job opportunities. All over Europe rural lighthouse projects pop up, but mostly for very limited and homogenic target groups.

How can rural life be attractive for everyone not just certain artists and independet knowledge workers? Which concepts and opportunities do we need to attract diverse people to embrace rural life fully? How can we establish companies in rural enviroments?

In the ROOTS X WINGS Workshop in Pescina, Abruzzo we explore and create rural future sceanrios as an alternative to the megacity narrative. In an innovative ideation process we co-create bold ideas for a rural future from diverse perspectives.