Ordinary vs. Extraordinary: An Urban Comparison in the Delta Po Area

In a time of pandemics and climate pressures, social sustainability has become a crucial issue within diverse sectors and disciplines. This article endeavors to enrich the discourse on social sustainability, particularly concerning community efforts, in contrast to large‐scale private investments employed as catalysts for enhancing attraction and territorial development. This article critically examines the case of the Delta Po area along the Eastern Adriatic coast in Italy, where several “ordinary cities” are situated, featured in a similar urbanization pattern to the nearby Venetian Metropolitan areas, identified by B. Secchi as “città diffusa.” To comprehend the significance of ordinary cities, this article delves into a comparative analysis between an ordinary setting, specifically the village of Massenzatica, and an extraordinary one, exemplified by the Porto Tolle power plant. These two contrasting approaches to utilizing the territory are assessed through a qualitative methodology in order to understand the factors that contribute to enhancing social and territorial sustainability.