Do Cities Rule The World ?

Territories and their development have a very deep influence on the production and consumption behaviours of their inhabitants. There is a trend, largely reinforced by the dynamics of rural exodus, towards greater bipolarisation between attractive urban centres concentrating economic, financial, social and cultural activities, and peripheral territories –rural or suburban– that are less dynamic and sometimes neglected altogether. In a global economy, have the large conurbations, rather than countries, become the real holders of economic power and stakeholders in international competition?

At the same time, while the challenges that exist within countries are numerous and varied –rural desertification in developed countries, uncontrolled urbanisation in developing countries– how do we preserve social and national cohesion and deal with the growing segregation of territories? What perspectives do Smart City tools offer?

This session will analyse these dynamics and the role to be played by public policies in response.