One House for €1: Case Studies on the Governance of Abandoned Properties in Small Villages

The study aims at analyzing the Italian initiative “Case a 1 €” launched in 2009 for the preservation of abandoned goods, in Gangi, a small village near Palermo. The Municipality has put for sale the ruined houses for the symbolic prize of 1 €. As this initiative has been imitated by other municipalities in Italy and thus become a model, my intention is to explore how it works based on two different levels of investigation, in terms of: 1) contractual schemes (parties and respective rights and obligations) and 2) policy choices, comparing proposed and achieved goals by the administrations and the parties. Some relevant issues arise after 12 years: is the initiative an appropriate answer for the management of abandoned properties, both private and public? Is it an effective instrument to undermine the idea that such properties are a burden? Can they become a resource for collective, social and economic development? Is it a model to regain cultural identity revitalizing the small, abandoned centers, promoting inclusion, participation and environmental sustainability? I will use both inductive and deductive methods, examining and comparing some case studies in Sicily, among those municipalities that adopted this policy (Cammarata, Sambuca, Gangi, Itala, Salemi, Regalbuto, Mussomeli and Saponara). In order to investigate level 1), I will identify the contractual frames and documents provided online by the Municipalities administrations. To find answers on level 2), I will analyze (when available) the number of goods transferred from private parties to Municipalities and of those finally assigned to the final buyer. I will interview the administration’s civil servants and the final buyers to understand if their expectations (private and collective) have been satisfied.