The role of shared administration in overcoming territorial polarisation processes

Three global crises in less than fifteen years have triggered a systemic transformation that is similar in pervasiveness and magnitude, but of the opposite sign as that which marked the end of the Glorious 30s. The state-market dualism is questioned in favour of a pluralist vision focused on polycentrism and institutional diversity, which recognizes and expands the space for the intervention of the social economy. The element that makes it necessary to rethink the state-market dualism in a context that enhances organisational and institutional diversity lies in the persistence of spatial imbalances, which in fact exacerbate inequalities and multidimensional poverty, to the point of causing, in the most serious cases, epistemic injustices. Starting from these premises, this contribution addresses the issue of disaffection for public life as a consequence of the persistence of processes of polarisation of social and territorial dynamics and proposes instead the empowerment of community enterprises and their explicit involvement in social and territorial development processes through, for example, nested and cooperative solutions between public administrations and community cooperatives. A theoretical framework is used to illustrate how the spatial imbalances and inequalities that derive from polarisation processes are exacerbated and manifest their effects especially during recessions and in times of crises. Based on the quantitative results achieved, we suggest that in the long run, community cooperatives and shared administration solutions can trigger local development and reconnect the locality to the broader space for action of the public sector and the market.