Paba, Giancarlo; Perrone, Camilla; Lucchesi, Fabio; Zetti, Iacopo; Granatiero, Antonella; Rossi, Maddalena (2017). La Toscana nella transizione post-metropolitana: dalla città policentrica alla ‘new regional city’. In: Alessandro Balducci, Valeria Fedeli, Francesco Curci. Oltre la metropoli. L’urbanizzazione regionale in Italia, pp. 45-64, Milano: Guerini e Associati.
Are Florence, Prato and Pistoia still distinct cities, or do they constitute a single, vast ‘New Regional City’? This essay explores Tuscany’s post-metropolitan transition, revealing how the region is evolving into an interconnected and intricate urban landscape.
Despite rapid urbanisation, the research highlights that the Tuscan landscape retains its strength thanks to its geohistorical foundations: rivers and hills are not merely backdrops, but rather flows and banks that guide development. However, a critical challenge emerges: while the economy and citizens’ lives are already ‘regional’, politics and bureaucracy often remain confined within municipal boundaries, making it difficult to manage transportation and services in an integrated manner.
The “portrait” that ultimately emerges is that of a unique, multi-nucleated territory. The challenge for the future is to foster dialogue between historic centre traditions and sprawling city innovation, ensuring sustainability and cohesion for our new great city.