PART II CONCEPTS
6 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS 6.3 BUILDING THE EUROPEAN DIAGONAL
6.3 BUILDING THE EUROPEAN DIAGONAL The concept of 'urban ecosystem of innovation' underpins the megaregional strategies which the Fundacion Metropoli has developed in 'Building the European Diagonal'.32 In a globalising world cities are no longer capable of competing in isolation. They cannot avoid globalisation either, as they are its prime habitat. Having become metropolitan in nature cities are operating a t a g rowing regional scale and are increasingly networked beyond national boundaries. They have turned into mega-cities and cityregions at an accelerating pace, exemplified by America's North East Super-City ranging from Boston to Washington, or Japan's Tokyo - Osaka Belt. The Southern European Diagonal is conceived as such a dynamic mega-region in Europe, with Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Marseille and Milan a s i ts k ey c ities. It h as t he potential t o complement the European 'Pentagon' in the northwest. Encompassing London, Paris, Brussels, the Randstad, Frankfurt, Cologne, together with Milan
which it shares with the European Diagonal, the Pentagon is the only recognised global economic mega-region in Europe.
Busiest Airports in the Diagonal. Source: AENA / Assaeroporti / ANA-Aeroportos de Portugal / UAF-Union des AÊroports Français
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