From scale to territory: toward a critical theory of polycentrism

Abstract

This article seeks to develop an analytical theory of the concept of polycentrism, the assumptions of which provide the foundations for most of the current land planning policy framework, with a view to analyzing whether polycentrism is the best solution to the regional imbalances in the national territory, in particular those affecting areas that are caught between urbanization and marginalization. Studies we have been carrying out on the Alentejo region will be used for this purpose.