San Lorenzo Dorsino, a picturesque rural village in Trentino, holds the distinction of being one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. In recent years, the regional strategy has placed significant emphasis on the area's tourist development. However, the municipality and active citizens of San Lorenzo Dorsino are now considering a more conscious strategy that not only promotes tourism but also recognises the needs of a thriving local community.

Upon invitation from the Borgo Vivo Consortium and as part of Lungomare Cooperative, I helped develop a participatory development strategy proposal aimed at valorising and promoting the village over a multi-year period. This plan was based on territorial exploration, where our team actively interacted with the residents and listened to the personal stories of San Lorenzo Dorsino. During this phase, we discovered the values of the territory and learned its history through participatory walks, engaged in activities with locals, interviewed them in informal contexts and conducted several open workshops with different target groups. Together, we reflected on the collective future desires of the local community and mapped places and spaces that could not only become strategic in the development of the area but become new centres of local life.

At the end of the first phase, a community magazine was published to acknowledge the commitment many people demonstrated in engaging with the research and share the main reflections that emerged from it. The free copies of the magazine were distributed to all the residents of the village.