Abstract
The SPACE project challenges the traditional, State-based legal approach to territory through the lens of the center/periphery cleavage by investigating the processes of configuration and reconfiguration of centers and peripheries in Europe over the past decades. The research project applies comparative methods and is structured around three core pillars, each representing a distinct but interconnected dimension of the legal concept of territory: 1) The European Dimension: Integration and Disintegration; 2) The Cooperative Relational Dimension; 3) The Spatial Dimension of Rights. SPACE is developed by 5 research units: UNIBO (University of Bologna), UNIVR (University of Verona), UNICAL (University of Calabria), UNIFI (University of Florence) and LUM (LUM University De Gennaro, Casamassima–Bari). The objectives of the project are threefold: 1) to advance critical knowledge on the legal dimensions of the territory by underpinning a comparative analysis characterised by methodological pluralism; 2) to contribute to scholarly debates on comparative law and legal geography; 3) to enhance dialogue with civil society, policy-makers, schools and civil society through the dissemination of the project results. The expected outcomes cover scholarly pieces (one book and several special issues and individual publications); academic events in all universities involved to share intermediate and final results; events involving stakeholders in all universities involved. Results: The SPACE PRIN project provided an innovative and critical assessment of the legal dimensions of territory through a comparative and multidimensional approach based on three research streams. The project ran from September 2023 to February 2026. The first dimension (WP1), addressed by UNIBO, concerned the European dimension (integration and disintegration) and examined how recent EU crises reshaped the relationship between centers and peripheries, comparing new legal patterns of differentiation with traditional political and economic classifications among Member States. The second dimension (WP2), namely the cooperative-relational, addressed by UNICAL and UNIVR, adopted a multi-scalar perspective to explore how cooperative mechanisms – both within Member States and at the EU level (e.g., cross-border and macro-regional strategies) – redefined territory as a “fuzzy space” adaptable to concrete interests and needs beyond national borders. The third dimension (WP3) addressed the spatial dimension of rights and was dealt with by UNIFI and LUM, highlighting how space both shaped and was shaped by the construction and implementation of rights, creating variable geometries of centers and peripheries. In particular, it focused on political rights, disability rights, and the right to education. The project applied a comparative and inclusive methodology and pursued two main objectives: advancing knowledge on the center–periphery divide in Europe and strengthening dialogue with policy-makers, schools, and civil society. Its scientific impact relied on individual publications, collective volumes, an open access special issue and another dedicated special issue, together with academic events held at each unit. Social impact was strengthened through the involvement of stakeholders and outreach activities for schools and the general public, including workshops, open access materials, and a docufilm on the project that was published on the official website. SPACE committed to the dissemination and exploitation of its results as a core objective to maximize impact. UNIBO coordinated this work package, implemented by the entire SPACE team. The strategy targeted five main groups: scholars, university students, school students and teachers, policymakers, and the general public. For scholars, dissemination relied on publications (individual articles, volumes, two special issues – one OPEN ACCESS and an additional one, in multiple languages), the organization of academic events (a kick-off meeting in Bologna, a final conference in Bari, and four mid-term conferences in Verona, Cosenza, Bologna and Florence), and paper presentations at national and international conferences.For university students, SPACE promoted engagement through an active learning lab at the University of Verona and two research seminars integrated into existing teaching activities, including the Summer School on Comparative Methodology at UNIBO (2024) and the UNICAL Master’s programme on Public Administration (2026). For schools, the project organized seminars with secondary schools as described in detail with respect to each unit to discuss territorial challenges and raise awareness of the center–periphery divide and supported the creation of a network of schools to share educational best practices. For policymakers, SPACE held workshops in Bologna, Florence, and Cosenza bringing together policymakers, practitioners, stakeholders and civil society actors to discuss the project’s findings and policy implications.
Dettagli del progetto
Responsabile scientifico: Sabrina Ragone
Strutture Unibo coinvolte:
Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche e Sociali
Coordinatore:
ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - Università di Bologna(Italy)
Contributo totale di progetto: Euro (EUR) 211.480,00
Contributo totale Unibo: Euro (EUR) 63.000,00
Durata del progetto in mesi: 24
Data di inizio
28/09/2023
Data di fine:
28/02/2026
