Areas of cultural and ecological re-equilibrium in human settlements

Dr Colantonio Venturelli is a research fellow at Ancona University where she teaches territorial and town planning based on the principles of landscape ecology and urban ecology. Her research has always been carried out not only in Italy but also in other European countries ( Switzerland, Germany). She is a member of several scientific associations including the World Society for Ekistics (WSE). The text that follows is an edited and revised version of a paper made available by the author to participants at the WSE Symposion "Defining Success of the City in the 21st century," Berlin, 24-28 October, 2001, which she was finally unable to attend.