Economic patterns of sustainable development: an analysis of absolute ecological footprint through self-organizing map

摘要

The aim of the present work is to demonstrate the relevance of some social-economic features as a complex factor for sustainable development. In particular we have considered the Absolute Ecological Footprint instead the Pro-Capita, as a better proxy in order to investigate Socio-Economic Patterns of sustainable development. We have also set out a methodology of non-linear analysis, based on Neural Networks Self Organizing Map in order to find relationship between the different kinds of Socio-Economic Patterns. The classic economic approach, indeed, cannot explain those patterns, cause they are dependent from its social and geographical context, in a complex and non-linear way by Carlei et al. (Scienze Regionali, 2008).