The city as a measure of sustainability. A multidimensional analysis

Abstract

Cities are at a the turning point in the global comparison of sustainable development, as they are the centre of a growing majority of the world’s population. They are the engine of local and national economies and represent the hub of well-being; more than 80% of global economic activities are concentrated in urban centres. The climate crisis and the need to protect the environment have pushed all the countries of the world to reorganise their urban centres, with the intention of creating real "sustainable cities". Goals 11 of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations calls for making cities and human settlements more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Cities must meet specific environmental, social, economic criteria and be redesigned in their spatial, social and economic organisation. They must become a laboratory of sustainability and inclusion, able to forge a strong alliance with its citizens and the environment. The aim of this paper is to analyse the requirements for a new urban centre model through exploratory methods of multivariate analysis and the comparison of characteristic indicators that in a common vision can bring out significant peculiarities and dynamics in the urban context. The multidimensional complexity of the study required the identification, selection and measurement of a set of indicators relating to the macro-areas of a demographic, social, economic and environmental nature and a multivariate synthesis analysis for comparisons in terms of urban sustainability. A study that offers insights to understand the logic and dynamics of our cities as the keystone for the interpretation and regulation of urban, social and economic development processes.