Social innovation and territorial development

In this chapter, the focus is on the relationships between territorial development and social innovation. This work demonstrates that while different theories indirectly consider social relations in territorial development, their primary focus remains on territorial development in an economic sense. On the other hand, social innovation literature offers a broader perspective of territorial development as economic, social, and environmental well-being. It emphasizes the need for cross-sectoral collective effort in tackling social issues. Despite the critical points raised in social innovation studies, the literature lacks any evidence of the long-term effects of social innovation and a shared understanding of what spatial level represents its territorial nature.