Towards Local Forms of Sprawl: A Brief Reflection on Mediterranean Urbanization

Gianluca Egidi, Sirio Cividino, Sabato Vinci, Adele Sateriano and Rosanna Salvia
Additional contact information
Gianluca Egidi: Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (DAFNE), Tuscia University, I-01100 Viterbo, Italy
Sirio Cividino: Department of Agriculture, University of Udine, I-33100 Udine, Italy
Sabato Vinci: Department of Political Science, Third University of Rome, I-00145 Rome, Italy
Adele Sateriano: Independent Researcher, 00154 Rome, Italy
Rosanna Salvia: Mathematics, Computer Science and Economics Department, University of Basilicata, I-85100 Potenza, Italy

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 2, 1-16

Abstract: Urban sprawl is a complex phenomenon that requires a comprehensive reflection on the most significant patterns and underlying processes. While the “sprawl” notion parallels hegemonic concepts such as economic competitiveness, social cohesion, and polycentric development, an integrated analysis of sprawl patterns and processes in paradigmatic socioeconomic contexts is increasingly required to reconcile different disciplinary visions, contributing to a holistic interpretation of metropolitan change. At the same time, sprawl is an increasingly evident product of local socioeconomic contexts all over the world. A comprehensive investigation of multifaceted, form–function relationships underlying sprawl—based on a quali-quantitative analysis of representative cases—is a crucial pre-requisite of both monitoring and policy actions at multiple spatial scales, from urban/regional to national/continental levels. The present contribution proposes a contextualization of the sprawl notion in Southern Europe—a socioeconomic context characterized by compact and continuous urbanization for a long time. An integrated approach based on a visual analysis of urban and peri-urban landscapes—integrated with an extended literature survey—allows for a definition of a specific sprawl model in Southern Europe, sharing some features with the United States ideal type of sprawl and showing peculiarities with respect to common models of urban dispersion typical of Northern and Western Europe. Policies aimed at containing urban dispersion may definitely benefit from a local-based definition of sprawl, considering the specificity of form–function relationships and the underlying socioeconomic context.

Keywords: exurban development; dispersed settlements; urban planning; urban design; population trends; Southern Europe (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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