New article published

ABSTRACT
Left-behindness is a condition of underdevelopment characterized by spatial and social marginalization. An emerging body of literature considers (1) local capabilities from within and (2) place attachment as a rationale facilitating residents’ commitment to place. However, place attachment is disrupted by place change, and little is known about how living in unequal regions affects residents’ opportunities. We present a conceptual framework featuring the Capability Approach and place attachment to assess how structural inequalities affect residents’ actual freedom to achieve their goals, and how these freedoms are conditioned by residents’ emotional relationship with place. The study draws upon 60 walking interviews conducted in the deindustrialized and unevenly redeveloping France–Luxembourg border region and demonstrates that capabilities emerge from the interaction between habitus, living environment, and emotional attachment to place. Residents with weak attachment primarily engage with the region functionally, limiting their ability to mobilize local opportunities. Residents displaying dissonant attachment use cross-border resources strategically while focusing their aspirations elsewhere. In contrast, strong place attachment enhances residents’ capacities to identify and activate conversion factors, enabling them to influence local development through civic and political engagement. Strengthening place attachment through place-based policies can enhance residents’ capabilities and support more inclusive, locally grounded development.

Evrard, E., & Schalliol, D. (2026). From depletion to encroachment? Using place attachment to assess residents’ capabilities in a post-industrial locale. European Planning Studies, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2026.2677710