ECP Malta on Urban areas as nodes in a polycentric development

Abstract

The ESDP scenario illustrates the ideal situation, where increased polycentricity at the intra-urban level (micro) makes city regions stronger and therefore produces a more polycentric national or transnational urban system (meso). In the next step, stronger functional areas at the meso level can work together to produce strongholds for a more balanced Europe, heralding the eventual emergence of several Global Integration Zones in addition to the Pentagon (macro). The reinforcement of cities and regions (as the ESDP states) as result of an integrated approach considering policies for the development of "gateway cities", multi-modal infrastructure for the European corridors, equal access to telecommunication facilities and intercontinental accessibility, natural and cultural assets, which could strengthen the role of regions and their cities, in particular at the external borders of the EU. This concept is generally in line with ESDP’s basic concepts.