Insights

In December 2020, Gianfranco Sabattini has passed away.

Former Professor of Political Economy at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Cagliari, in Sardinia, Italy, he was a scholar who has devoted much of his time to research.

Until the last days of his life, he continued – tirelessly and with extraordinary passion – to study and share the fruits of his analyses, exchanging ideas and writing articles, essays, commentaries and books.

Sabattini in his many writings has been able to transfer a wide array of cultural interests, which, as regards to the field of economics, finds one of its main reflections in a vast interdisciplinary research plan.

International trade is a fundamental factor for economic growth and development.

The expansion of such form of trade tends to reflect a strategic goal for most countries, as they can significantly increase their gross domestic product (GDP) through the selling of more goods and services to foreign markets.

Culture, art and creativity can help communities grow their own economies.

Unfortunately, today – at the time of this writing – cultural and creative industries appear as some of the economic sectors most heavily hit by the current pandemic related with the spread of the Covid-19.

One of the main features for these industries is the high level of variety and diversification of the economic actors that directly (e.g. an artist) or indirectly (e.g. an electrician) contribute with their work to the functioning and evolution of these industries.

La diffusione del Covid-19 in molte parti del pianeta – oltre a determinare elevatissimi costi in termini di vite umane ed economici – ha creato un impensabile cambiamento nei nostri stili di vita e nel modo in cui guardiamo alla realtà circostante. Per tutti noi questa realtà si materializza in larga misura in una serie di interrelazioni che tengono insieme società, economie e i relativi territori di sviluppo.

È in quest’ottica che l’emergenza Covid-19 sollecita l’esigenza di nuovi ragionamenti capaci di generare possibili prospettive teoriche, se non d’azione, per una progettazione di città e spazi urbani in grado di resistere meglio ad eventi naturali che – al pari di una pandemia di origine virale come quella in corso nel nostro pianeta al momento in cui queste pagine vengono scritte – allontanano molte persone dalla possibilità di soddisfare il raggiungimento di obiettivi primari ampiamente riconducibili alla preservazione della salute, del benessere e della sicurezza.

The current pandemic related with the spread of the Covid-19 is changing our lifestyle and has brought unprecedented challenges for all of us. In response to this situation a series of new rules and measures has been suggested and introduced by public and health authorities in order to minimize the spread of the virus: for example, social distancing, self-isolation, good hygiene practices. Adapting to this new scenario, many individuals and companies are also thinking about viable and fruitful plans that could support a satisfactory development of their activities in a post-pandemic world.