ABSTRACT
The Milan urban region has been the focus of research explorations concerning regional urbanization processes since the 1960s. Milan represents a unique case of regional urbanization in the Italian context. The comparative study of the demographic density gradient of the Milan square within the national context reveals its peculiarity and uniqueness. In fact, the Milan square is characterized by a unique relevant phenomenon of density gradient flattening from the center of the city towards the rest of the urban region. The gradients of education, home property, housing types, unemployment rate and housing crowding highlight gentler curbs than in previous decades, while social polarization remains higher in the city of Milan than in its urban belt. In recent decades, the geography of votes has witnessed a consistent change, with the central city of Milan becoming more oriented to the center-left and the metropolitan region observing the crisis of center-right coalitions.
