Ecopolis vs Megacity: A Post-crises Regional-Urban Vision Towards 2050

The paper is concerned with a reflection on spatial visions capable to: overcome the territorial inequalities and criticalities that have exploded as a consequence of the recent interwoven global crises (environmental, economic, pandemic and of social justice);pursue the so called “ecological transition” towards 2050. The paper supports the idea that the too big urban agglomerations (and in particular the so called “megacities”), exploded in number during the last decades in the Far and in the Middle East, are at the origin of the current interwoven crises. Megacities must be decidedly abandoned in order to return, as soon as possible, to an ecological and decentralized city as had already been claimed, in the twenties of the last century, in the thought and action of the planners of the Regional Planning Association of America (RPAA). With reference to this alternative model, the European vision of “Ecopolis”, elaborated by Espon in 2012, is recovered together with the “ecopolitical” vision of Edgar Morin (2020) and adapted to the conditions arisen, in particular in the European context, due to the pandemic. With reference to the Italian situation, the ideal-type of Ecopolis could be introduced, with the name of “Area Ecopolitana” - instead of the old and weakened Provincia -, as an institutional body with special powers aimed at the rebalancing of the territorial structure through the regeneration of the non-metropolitan territories.