Territories & Proximity: Rebuilding Trust

The Fondation de France’s Solitudes 2025 study highlights the central role of social networks in building and preserving social ties, while highlighting their weakening for part of the population.
In rural areas, the distance from public services, mobility constraints and the gradual disappearance of social spaces accentuate situations of social isolation. Local links (neighborhood, local associations, small shops) play a decisive role: they are essential anchoring points and promote recognition and participation in social life.

Whether it is the associative fabric, experiences of participatory and implicative democracy, the role of local authorities in reindustrialization or the growing demand for decentralizing policies; real hope is to be found in territorial initiatives.

How can local actors be given the means to act effectively as close as possible to citizens? Which territorial development models should be prioritized to meet the specific needs of each territory?