The aim of this book is to look at the dominant representations that at present underpin the issues of territorial organisation and planning in Europe. Cities and networks are often envisaged as inevitably driving territorial development. However, the conceptualisation of European territorial integration has often been reduced to two conventional models: the centre-periphery model and the hierarchical model of urban networks. Limiting territorial integration to these two schema means that integration is limited. Today, reference to polycentric territorial development has to some extent changed the picture. Rather than being viewed in a polarised, pyramidal manner, spatial dynamics are being read in terms of interconnection and reticulation. In addition, reflection on the subject of polycentric territorial strategies has encouraged politicians and spatial planners to include the principle of “territorial cohesion” in the priorities of European public policies. From considerations which associate conceptual approaches and analytical studies, this book makes it possible to understand in what manner polycentrism, viewed as an alternative to metropolisation, could sow the seeds for new readings, at various scales, of the organisation of European territory.

Metropolitan areas concentrate the main share of population, production and consumption in OECD countries. They are likely to be one of the most important units for economic, social and environmental analysis as well as for the development of policy strategies. However, one of the main problems that occur when adopting metropolitan areas as units of analysis and policy in European countries is the absence of widely accepted standards for identifying them. This severe problem hinders comparative research between European countries using metropolitan areas as units of analysis. In this text we defend the necessity of a methodology to identify metropolitan areas in Europe. This methodology should fulfil three requisites: first, to be useful for analysis and planning, which requires to represent in a realistic way economic, social and environmental phenomena; second, to be applicable to all the European countries; and third, to be flexible enough to deal with the existence of different administrative and territorial structures across countries as well as to take into account that many metropolitan areas, particularly the largest ones, are polycentric. The aim of this paper is to identify metropolitan areas in Spain and Italy using similar methodologies and to evaluate their application to other European countries. The results allow comparing the metropolitan realities of these countries as well as providing the metropolitan units that can be used in subsequent comparative researches. Two methodologies are proposed: the Cheshire-GEMACA methodology (FUR) and an iterative version of the USA-MSA algorithm, particularly adapted to deal with polycentric metropolitan areas. Both methods show a good approximation to the metropolitan reality and produce very similar results: 75 FUR and 67 DMA in Spain (75% of total population and employment), and 81 FUR and 86 DMA in Italy (70% of total population and employment).

A new 21st century urban phenomenon is emerging: the networked polycentric mega-city region. Developed around one or more cities of global status, it is characterized by a cluster of cities and towns, physically separate but intensively networked in a complex spatial division of labour. This book describes and analyses eight such regions in North West Europe. For the first time, this work shows how businesses interrelate and communicate in geographical space - within each region, between them, and with the wider world. It goes on to demonstrate the profound consequences for spatial planning and regional development in Europe - and, by implication, other similar urban regions of the world. The Polycentric Metropolis introduces the concept of a mega-city region, analyses its characteristics, examines the issues surrounding regional identities, and discusses policy ramifications and outcomes for infrastructure, transport systems and regulation. Packed with high quality maps, case study data and written in a clear style by highly experienced authors, this will be an insightful and significant analysis suitable for professionals in urban planning and policy, environmental consultancies, business and investment communities, technical libraries, and students in urban studies, geography, economics and town/spatial planning.

Second-rank cities are back on the academic scene, capturing the interest of scholars with their unexpected recent performance with respect to first-rank cities. Looking at the data on average urban GDP growth in 139 European cities since 1996, the relatively strong position of large cities (over 1.5 million inhabitants) on national growth coincides with the periods of fastest expansion, while at times of slowdown second-rank cities prevail. Especially in the recent period of economic downturn, second-rank cities have recorded annual GDP growth rates much less negative than those of capital cities; and in some European countries, like Austria and Germany, all cities have outperformed their capitals. In explaining this phenomenon, linking urban dynamics to agglomeration theories seems the most interesting approach. However, merely to link agglomeration economies to urban size in order to interpret urban performance is neither convincing nor sufficient, and it calls for additional investigation into how agglomeration economies work. This volume claims that interpretation of the current dynamics in European urban systems – especially in the western part of Europe – would benefit from exploitation of the traditional concept of agglomeration economies. However, necessary for this purpose are more in-depth considerations on the nature, scope, intensity, and causes of agglomeration economies which do not relate their existence solely to urban size. And this is where the main challenge for scholars lies, in the interpretation of the missing link between agglomeration economies and urban dynamics. This book was originally published as a special issue of European Planning Studies.

This book questions how policies for the metropolis become Europeanised. The book analyses how spatial concepts and political ideas permeate the European multi-level system. Through an interpretive comparison of five contexts, the book provides an overview of the European orientation tracing two interdependent developments. First, the book examines references to ‘Europe’ in national and subnational policies. In French and German policies, metropolitan regions are increasingly framed as being central not only for inter-municipal coordination, but also as nodes within the European space. Moreover, Europeanised metropolitan regions such as Lyon and Stuttgart develop European strategies. The second development shows how metropolitan regions appear as actors and issues in the European policy arena, contributing to a tentative and implicit metropolitan dimension. This multi-scalar analysis is of interest for scholars and practitioners specialised in metropolitan regions, European urban and regional policies, geography and related areas.

A new 21st century urban phenomenon is emerging: the networked polycentric mega-city region. Developed around one or more cities of global status, it is characterized by a cluster of cities and towns, physically separate but intensively networked in a complex spatial division of labor. This book describes and analyzes eight such regions in North West Europe.