A PROJECT FOR ITALIAN METROPLITAN AREAS

CONFINDUSTRIA - Network of the Territorial Associations of Italian Metropolitan Cities

Turin, Milan, Genova, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Neaples and Bari

Final Report

Italian Metropolitan Areas: Identification, Analysis, Governance, May 2011 (Italian version only)

The 'metropolitan areas question" has been debated in Italy for more than 20 years – in particular since the law n.142/1990 was issued - without reaching any conclusion yet. The extant legislation is contradictory and confused, the scientific community seems to have lost interest in the issue and the current political debate is primarily concerned with 'fiscal federalism' and 'devolution'. Yet the 'metropolitan areas question' is of utmost importance in Italy.

The processes of territorial integration - and, in particular, of 'territorial coalescence' - have so profoundly changed the territorial organisation of the economic and social processes to require an equally profound and encompassing change of the local governance system. It goes without saying - but it is worth repeating – that Italian metropolitan cities and metropolitan areas (or regions) are the key territorial actors of the Italian economy. They are the 'territorial poles' that generate most of the surplus and innovation (and collective learning process) that characterise the Italian economy.

The study aims at contributing to re-establish the 'metropolitan areas question' in a prominent position in the policy discourse and the policy agenda in Italy. The study is promoted and funded by 'Confindustria-Network of the Territorial Associations of the Metropolitan Cities'.