2018 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS & STATISTICS 2018 39(卷), 2(期), (61-70页)
Population trends were investigated over a time period between 1871 and 2016 at the municipal spatial scale in Latium, central Italy, a region encompassing the Rome's metropolitan area. A multidimensional approach incorporating principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering was used to assess long-term demographic dynamics along the metropolitan gradient in Rome. Results of this study pointed out the importance of internal migrations along elevation (mountainous areas to lowlands) and urban gradients (inner Rome to countryside) that progressively consolidate the socioeconomic divide between accessible (and economically-dynamic) agricultural districts and peripheral (mountain) districts. Spatial divides in population density have grown over time, possibly driven by synergic processes of peri-urbanization and coastalization. Our study highlights the contribution of exploratory analysis of demographic dynamics to empirical knowledge of long-term socioeconomic transformations along relevant geographical gradients.