Urban System Hierarchy and Quality: Theoretical Perspectives and Implications on Spatial Planning

From the end of the 1980s, there has been an increased interest in studying the characteristics and evolution of the urban system in relation to the opening up of a new dimension – the global dimension – of the economic space. In this area, that new phenomenon can be seen in the complex form of competition between cities to administer prestigious functions and public and private resources. These place the city itself in a position to improve the quality of its own spatial area, its visibility and its capacity to attract. At the same time, processes of specialisation in the distribution of urban economic functions and activities lead to an emphasis upon cooperation between cities that involve the integration of business networks for the implementation of production processes, the provision of a varied range of services for individuals, families and businesses. The analysis and interpretation of the structure and form of the wide area planning system in the Emilia-Romagna region for the preparation of the new Regional Spatial Plan (PTR), offer the opportunity for developing a critical evaluation of the contents of the planning instruments at provincial level (PTCP) - as an instrument for interpreting the structure and evolution of the urban system, as well as for identifying the principal problem areas in the various provincial contests. Through this method, which is a prelude to the standardization of the contents of the Provincial Plans, an attempt has been made to obtain a rigorous and coherent overview of the urban system as a result of the composition of urban, infrastructural and environmental systems in the construction of spatial quality.