The contributions of Rural Districts to the Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas: the case of the Tuscany Region

The Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas (LTVRA) pointed out that rural areas require an appropriate form of governance to avoid fragmentation and ensure the integration of rural policies. Recently, Italian law stressed the importance of Food Districts (FDs), including Rural Districts (RDs), to cope with rural challenges. Under the network governance perspective, this article explores internal and external barriers and the contribution of RDs to the LTVRA in the Tuscany Region. Following a desk analysis, the findings provide an overview of the main interventions contributing to the ten goals set by the LTVRA through different paths. The case study exhibits the flexibility of RDs in terms of geographical areas, predominant specialisations, actors involved, and fields of action, which characterise a clear ambition to promote a network-based and inclusive approach to rural development. The article suggests further investigation into the development of monitoring frameworks capable of optimising the structure of RDs and decision-making processes, capitalising on the inclusive capability network governance models to account for the needs and development visions of local actors.