Formas de cooperação interurbana: o caso da rede de cidades do quadrilátero urbanos

Abstract

Nowadays, cities are in the top of the planning and regional development policies agenda. Besides the increasing demographic expression, cities work as truly anchors of socioeconomic development. The establishment of interurban ways of cooperation is an action which attempts the cities involvement in the resolution of common problems. Specifically, the constitution of cities networks is a solution that can exploit synergies and complementarities between them, ameliorating their competitive position. The article analyses the interurban cooperation and in particular the cities network issues. Briefly, we review the urban cooperation concept at the international  and  national  context  and  describe the most recent public initiatives that intend the constitution of cities networks in Portugal, mainly in the North region of the country. Finally, the case of the urban network known as Urban Quadrilateral is presented and analysed with more detail.