Territorial Readiness for Digital Mobility: Why Low-Density Regions Need Decision-Support Before Attracting Remote Workers

Abstract

This policy brief introduces territorial readiness as the missing step between digital-nomad attraction and sustainable local impact. It argues that before promoting themselves to remote workers, low-density regions need a structured and transparent way to assess whether they can host them well, under what conditions and with what safeguards. The brief defines territorial readiness as the degree to which a place can host remote workers in a technically viable, locally compatible, socially integrative and risk-aware manner. It presents four public dimensions of readiness, capacity, compatibility, integration and risk, and explains why decision-support tools can help municipalities and regional agencies make more accountable, evidence-informed and locally negotiated decisions before launching attraction campaigns.