An overview of territorial resources and their users in the Rome and Chieti-Pescara areas

1. Introduction In this chapter two territories - the Rome metropolitan area and the Chieti-Pescara urban area – will be described and analyzed. Located in the central part of the Italian peninsula, the first one is situated along the Tyrrhenian Sea, whereas the second one faces the Balkans, along the Adriatic Sea. The first one is a large size area including the capital city, while the second is a mid-sized one. They can be considered as connected in a longitudinal way, since their position is symmetrical as regards to the Apennines; they are linked by an important infrastructure (the A24/A25 highway) and the population is gradually expanding towards inland. The Apennines that are located between the two areas represent a contact point rather than a divide. The chapter intends to provide a general framework of the areas that could be used in further analyses. The main purpose is offering to readers a wide set of data and information that could be further interpreted and developed. That is why the chapter will be mainly descriptive and will include several maps and tables. Our analysis aims at highlighting the main spatial and socio-economic characteristics of the two areas where several conflicts, linked to the different objectives of economic development and environmental protection, are taking place. After presenting the data and methodologies used in the study, main territorial resources in the two areas are described in the first part. In the second part, main users of those resources are analysed. In conclusions, we try to assess main contrasts arising by the conflicting interests of different users of the same resources.