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Despite the institutionalization of the issue of inner areas with the National Strategy for Inner Areas (Strategia Nazionale per le Aree Interne, SNAI), a reflection on their spatial organisation is still missing. Our paper aims at filling this gap by providing a methodology for identifying the citizens' Daily Life Spaces (DLS) in the Italian Abruzzo region, which can be used as the spatial unit of analysis of cohesion policies. Their identification results from a multi-step algorithm based on an original definition of central places and on the notions of geographical and organised proximity which consider both citizens' isochrones and commuting flows. Our methodology is able to provide the internal spatial organisation of both Labour Market Areas and Project Areas and is consistent with a historical perspective. Finally, it questions the SNAI classification, calling for a revision of its methodology of identification. • EU Cohesion Policy must be based on appropriate target areas to improve its effectiveness. • This is particularly important for inner areas, suffering from a stigmatising spatial representation. • We provide a methodology able to describe how inner areas are spatially organised based on the notion of citizens' Daily Life Space. • Daily Life Spaces can be used as the territorial unit of analysis for planning local development and cohesion policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]