Urban network, instruments for equity, cohesion and development

Abstract

This document searches for a definition of strategic guidelines that transform the Portuguese urban system into an efficient instrument for territorial equality, national cohesion and sustainable development. In the first part, the "return of the City" is acknowledge as an essential factor for the construction of the current cognitive society, making some considerations about geographical polarisation which inevitably is associated with this tendency. In the second part, the main modifications that recently have taken place in the morphology of the urban system are identified, underlining the threats and the opportunities created, in addition to the impact of those transformations which relate to the way one thinks one should act with regards to the urban systems. The third part registers the objectives that must be aimed for within a scope of transformation of urban systems understood as an instrument for development. Finally, in the last part, the results of some recent studies on the Portuguese urban system are summarised and, on the basis of the comparison of those results with the observations made in previous chapters, there are suggestions for the guidelines that should be taken into consideration if it is wished that the little of this text become reality.