Repubblica Italiana
Territory:	301.336 km²
Inhabitants:	59.131.287 (2006)
Number of communities:	8.101
Inhabitants per community:	7.299
Density of population:	195 Inhab./ km²
GDP per Inhabitant:	US$ 31.874 (2005)

«The perspective on Italian spatial planning is that of architects and town politics»

• Quadri Strategici Nazionali (QSN)
  Corresponds to the German national strategic framework and is the national programme document for structural funds 2007-20013 that the EU requires.
• L'armatura infrastrutturale e insediativa del territorio italiano al 2020 (ITATER 2020)
  From the infrastructure ministry financed study and resulting specialist discussions about the strategic orientation of infrastructure (town networks, transport, IT-infrastructure, including Wi-Fi, etc.)
  
• The Mezzogiorno issue is still a topic in Italy. At the moment it is
  discussed from the perspective of European structural funds and their new funding period.  
  The provinces of Sicily and Sardinia, similarly to Lombardy or South Tirol, are autonomous to a large extent and their autonomy goes beyond the usual authority of provinces. 

Summary of the interviews
Spatial development is controlled by architectural and structural
strengthening instruments. Instruments for structural strengthening are for example: town politics and on a national level structural studies like  ITATER 2020 (L'armatura infrastrutturale e insediativa del territorio italiano al 2020). The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportis responsible for ITATER which is the spatial appropriation of the Quadro Strategico Nazionale 2007-2013 (QSN), the Italian document for the EU structural funds. It sets the framework for spatial development which the regions have to carry out. QSN, and hence also ITATER, control the spatial development with the instrument of EU structural funds and thus follows their methodical approach.

Interviews
Dr. Pietro Elisei
Uni Roma III