Post-COVID-19 Territorial Redefinition: Resilience to Risks and Imbalances in Urban-Rural Models

Abstract

The present Tribune reflects on the effects of the alteration of ecosystems and biodiversity on the increase of related health and environmental problems, as evidenced by the global crisis caused by Covid-19. The generalization of densely populated and increasingly expanding urban models has led to environmental pollution and an increased risk of disease and flooding. Similarly, the industrialization of the food chain has favored the appearance of diseases such as diabetes and pathogens that cause infectious diseases. With globalization, the latter has been rapidly transmitted from rural areas to urban populations, allowing rapid expansion. Consequently, there is a call for a redefinition of the countryside-city relationship from a bioregional perspective and from a socio-ecological approach to maintain and restore the ecological support structure. This could strengthen territorial resilience through a modular, flexible, and polycentric configuration.