Rural and urban territories are facing multiple challenges, from ageing populations due to demographic processes, young people leaving due to a lack of opportunities and high unemployment, to climate change and environmental catastrophes. This workshop will demonstrate the potential of locally-driven responses, especially in addressing the loss of the young population, with examples of development strategies drawing on local assets, such as local talent and cultural heritage and making places more attractive to youth and mobile talent. It will build on its organisers' EU-wide experience to bring lessons from participatory, bottom-up approaches such as LEADER/CLLD, social innovation and smart territories to the new Cohesion Policy.
