L’orientamento al valore pubblico dei principali comuni italiani

The creation of public value represents the distinctive function of local authorities. In the literature on the subject, various models of public value can be found, which agree on its importance but also on its multidimensionality, subjectivity, and complexity. These contributions have been acknowledged by the Italian legislator, who has introduced public value as a mandatory element in the planning documents of public administrations. Through an analysis focused on regional capitals, this paper seeks to answer two research questions: what public value orientation is adopted by local authorities, and what rationalization measures are possible to improve their capacity to create public value.