Can remote work support rural and mountain areas?

Remote work is showing some early signs that it may contribute to repopulation and more balanced territorial development, particularly in inner and mountain areas. But the findings from REMAKING’s post-pandemic remote workers case study also make one point clear: remote work alone is not enough to reverse depopulation.

In a new REMAKING video, Patrizia Leone from the University of Bologna and Ilaria Mariotti from Politecnico di Milano discuss some of the territorial dynamics emerging from the research.

One of these is seasonal relocation toward   the Apennines and other mountain areas, facilitated by remote work and linked to the higher quality of life these territories may offer compared with cities.

Remote work can also act as a retention factor, allowing some people who might previously have needed to move to urban areas for employment to remain in rural and mountain territories.

Remote work needs the right territorial conditions

The research highlights the role of coworking spaces and broadband connectivity in making remote work viable in remote and mountain areas. Coworking spaces can provide appropriate working environments, while digital connectivity remains essential for workers based outside major urban centres.

The broader findings from the post-pandemic case study reinforce this idea. Policies for inner areas should take an integrated approach, connecting remote work with housing, mobility, public services, cultural opportunities and digital infrastructure.

The case study also identifies coworking and intermediate workspaces as potentially important tools for supporting territorial re-inhabitation and strengthening local communities and economies.

At the same time, the research cautions against assuming that remote work by itself can reverse depopulation. Its potential depends on complementary services such as schools, healthcare, transport, housing policies, sustainable mobility, digital infrastructure and support for SME digitalisation.

Local ecosystems, talent and brain circulation

Mariotti stresses that the impact of remote work depends strongly on the characteristics of each territory and on whether the local ecosystem is able to host new people, retain talent and attract talent.

Another important dynamic is brain circulation. Some people who had previously left rural areas to study or work elsewhere returned during or after the pandemic, bringing back knowledge and professional networks.

Some of these returnees are investing in rural areas by organising training courses, mentoring new startups and contributing to efforts to retain and attract talent.

From remote work to territorial policy

The wider Bologna and Milan case study shows that remote work should not be considered only as a labour-market or organisational issue. Its effects also extend to commuting, housing, mobility, local services and territorial development.

In Milan, decentralised working facilities have shown how local workspaces can reduce commuting and support work-life balance. In Bologna and the wider Emilia-Romagna context, the research points to the importance of negotiated hybrid working arrangements and to the potential of coworking spaces in smaller towns to support workers connected to metropolitan labour markets while contributing to local economies.

The overall policy lesson is therefore broader: the territorial impact of remote work depends on how it is governed. Coordinated action across national, regional, metropolitan, local and organisational levels is needed if remote work is to contribute to work-life balance, organisational efficiency and territorial cohesion.

The researchers nevertheless remain cautious. The experiences observed so far are still emerging, and outcomes will differ between territories. But they provide valuable examples of how remote work, local ecosystems and public policy may interact in rural, mountain and metropolitan areas.