In recent years, the concept of cohesion goes beyond the economic and social concern, focusing also on alleviating territorial imbalances and rendering sectorial policies of countries belonging to the European Union (EU) coherent and unified. Territorial imbalances are particularly evident in island regions which, constrained by their geographical position, are confronted with greater difficulties, compared to mainland ones. This work explores the potential for territorial cohesion derived from the study of both an internal state indicator (I_is), highlighting inner inadequacies of an island; and an attractiveness indicator (I_A), illuminating its external linkages and interactions. Interpretation of these two indicators demonstrates how the internal state of an island forms the ground for implementing integration and cohesion policies that are capable of alleviating territorial cohesion imbalances not only within EU countries but, above all, within other islands’ realities. Both indicators are integrated into an index (composite indicator) of territorial cohesion (I_TC), experimented in major Mediterranean islands. An analytical approach is proposed in this respect, stressing the originality and value of this research for strengthening territorial cohesion among island regions through the improvement of their internal state as well as the attractiveness these can develop towards the external world.

The interrelations between cities, inland areas, connecting road networks, urban, and political polarities have evolved, thereby determining economic, social, and place-based impacts. Thus, via a case study of Sardinia island (Italy), this study analyses regional transport data to evaluate the interrelations and mobility issues between the main cities and the settlement geographies of internal areas with a predominantly agricultural vocation. First, it frames the problems (common to the islands) theoretically and focuses on how the internal areas (considered marginal for a long time) have considerable material and immaterial resources to be valorised. Second, the study evaluates the internal relationship networks that characterise the island territory through the cluster and principal components analysis using origin–destination data to represent vocations and population needs. A smart governance strategy is proposed for Sardinia through an assessment of the functionality of urban settlements and interconnections between the hinterlands (the small and the main cities of the case study), following the smart region paradigm. The study underlines the importance of the interconnection between urban geographical areas. Thus, given an analytical-numerical approach, the originality of this research is highlighted in how it is possible to extract social vocations of the territory, which is generally not easily quantifiable.

With the adoption of the United Nations’ Agenda 2030, some member states of the European Union have voluntarily assessed their state regarding the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by use of the United Nations’ monitoring system for administrative bodies. However, this system does not consider specific challenges in achieving SDGs that are faced with respect to vulnerable geographical contexts. Among these contexts falls the emblematic case of insular regions suffering from particular natural and geographical “handicaps” that, in most cases, confine their efforts to SDG achievements. The goal of this paper is to feature a monitoring system that is capable of measuring progress of insular territorial contexts to 2030 SDGs; the study is adjusted to the islands’ particularities. In doing so, the link between the structural problems of the islands and the UN 2030 SDGs is established, feeding the design of a monitoring mechanism by means of an Islands Sustainable Development Index (I_ISD). I_ISD integrates environmental, social, economic, and innovation dimensions, represented by four core indicators, namely the I_END, I_SD, I_ED, and I_ID, respectively. The results of this research demonstrate: (i) the need to assess progress of the islands toward the SDGs, taking into account the “insularity” dimension, that is, incorporating in the monitoring system respective intrinsic and extrinsic peculiarities of such territorial contexts; and (ii) how intrinsic quantitative and qualitative attributes of island regions, embedded in an integrated analytical approach, can inform strategic decision making in order to achieve higher levels of sustainability performance in these specific territorial entities.