Metropolitan cities in search of identity: Challenges and opportunities for urban strategic planning in Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan

This article explores the interplay between Integrated Urban Plans (IUPs), introduced by Italy’s post-Covid National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), and Metropolitan Cities (MCs) established in 2014 and still pursuing institutionalization. We investigate if IUPs empower MCs as innovative strategic bodies through their direct engagement in urban regeneration. Drawing from institutionalization theory, we analyze documents and interviews from three selected MCs. Findings reveal: diverse approaches to IUPs; varying success in aligning projects with strategic missions; and distinct MC models and degrees of consolidation, shaped by legacies and capacities. The NRRP proves an effective window of opportunity for the institutionalization of MCs.