Looking at the future of the Mediterranean urban regions: demographic trends and socioeconomic implications

The present study analyzed past and future trends in population and urbanization rates in the Mediterranean region. Processes such as coastalization and settlement diffusion, taken as the most relevant patterns of urban development in the region, were described using official statistics and discussed in terms of their socioeconomic and territorial implications. The link between urbanization and the growing environmental vulnerability of cities was also debated. An original planning framework oriented to a multi-scale and multi-factorial approach spanning from economic competitiveness to environmental sustainability was finally proposed.