Editor’s letter / Global
Trying hard or hardly trying?
From the fate of Europe’s disappearing villages to the modern dress codes of America’s southern states, this issue celebrates the transformative effects of smartening up and making an extra effort. Be a force for good, writes editor in chief Andrew Tuck.
If you struggled to find a quiet Mediterranean beach on which to unfurl your towel this summer, then it might surprise you to learn how many sunny southern European nations are actually short of people – at least, in their remoter corners. In Spain this is particularly acute when you head inland from the glistening coast; between 2010 and 2019, 6,232 of the country’s 8,131 municipalities decreased in population. It’s a trend that has seen villages depleted or even abandoned as the young and talented move to the big cities. Can anything be done to…