Left Behind: the book that champions the development of all territories
Economist Paul Collier, one of the most influential thinkers on territorial development and social cohesion, has just published LLeft Behind: A New Economics for Neglected Places. This book has quickly become a key reference for those working on territorial public policy. In it, Collier analyzes the dynamics behind the economic decline of rural, peri-urban, and post-industrial regions and proposes concrete tools for their regeneration. Its reading is particularly relevant at a time when many regions of the world are experiencing depopulation, growing inequality, and a loss of opportunities for their younger populations.
Paul Collier is Professor of Economics at the University of Oxford and a world-renowned expert on development, cooperation, and territorial policies. He is the author of works such as The Bottom Billion or The Future of Capitalism. His work combines economic analysis with a strong concern for social cohesion. The English edition of Left Behind has been published by the Penguin Random House, within its line of essays on economics and society.
Collier's diagnosis directly connects with ORU Fogar's concerns. The author emphasizes how institutional neglect and excessive centralization of decision-making have eroded community trust and blocked territories' ability to shape their own future. This phenomenon fuels brain drain, in which qualified young people are forced to leave their regions to pursue professional development, further weakening the places they leave behind. For Collier, reversing this trend requires understanding the territory as a complete ecosystem where the economy, social cohesion, and local identity advance together.
In this sense, the proposal for a “new local economy” aligns perfectly with the territorial vision that ORU Fogar has been advocating for years. Strengthening local power, fiscal and administrative decentralization, early investment following economic shocks, and valuing community social capital emerge as decisive factors in preventing rural exodus and enabling each region to realize its full potential. The book demonstrates, with global examples, that localized policies not only regenerate economies but also rebuild a sense of belonging and collective purpose.
Therefore, reading Left Behind is recommended to regional governments, public officials, universities, and organizations working against territorial inequalities. Regionalism fully aligns with the book's central thesis: sustainable development is impossible without strong, cohesive territories capable of retaining talent. Collier's work provides valuable ideas, practical tools, and an optimistic vision that reinforces ORUFogar's mission: that no territory, however small or peripheral, be left behind.
