A spotlight on Italian cities: urban change, governance and planning

Abstract

Italy’s territorial organization is historically marked by the density of town and cities spread across the country. Italian cities were the places where new institutions and forms of government have been shaped over the centuries, and where main innovations in the social and cultural domains continue to take place. The country’s economy, itself, is rooted in a multitude of medium – and even small – urban areas, a factor that has helped Italy to limit the impact of the polarization process affecting other European countries (e.g. rural depopulation). Despite that leading role, it is only since the end of last century that urban areas started to be highly regarded within the national political agenda. Drivers of this process have been legal reforms to further empower local government, State initiatives to stimulate urban regeneration and, not least, the European Union, that especially in the Southern regions still plays a key role in supporting local projects and planning innovation.