Spatial Autocorrelation Analysis for New FUA Inner Strategic Asset: A Case Study of the Metropolitan City of Milan, Italy

Abstract

Functional urban areas represent integrated urban contexts whose territories are economically interconnected. They, therefore, include a central city and all the municipalities that make up the commuting area for work reasons. The economic energies and settlement transformations that characterize these territories have been consolidated over time. The current geographic conformation, as defined today, does not provide information on each municipality’s rank (role) in the overall functioning. In this perspective, the work presented examines the demographic and urban dynamics that have affected the FUA of Milan in the last 60 years and then evaluates the presence of possible homogeneous geographic clusters (hot and cold spots) through spatial correlation techniques. Statistic validation was performed through the ANOVA and subsequent posthoc analysis (Tukey–Kramer method). Results show a new configurational asset within the FUA of Milan, which could provide a new key to interpreting the territory, aimed at identifying homogeneous areas to adopt new and more effective forms of strategic planning.