Theses on Metropolisation: Ten discussion points for research and education

This chapter introduces the concept of metropolisation, a framework to describe and understand the dynamics of territories undergoing extensive urbanisation. Metropolisation is defined as the transformation of fragmented urbanised areas into coherent and consolidated urban regions through the effects of long-term and intertwined processes of...

Friends with benefits: the emergence of the Amsterdam–Rotterdam–Antwerp (ARA) polycentric port region

This paper enacts a dialogue between planning literature on polycentric urban regions (PUR) and port geography literature on multi-port gateways. The main proposition is that polycentric systems are the emergent outcome of the interactions between three dimensions of polycentricity: morphological, functional and institutional. The focus is on...

Review of whole system simulation methodologies for assessing mobility as a service (Maas) as an enabler for sustainable urban mobility

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is an emerging concept that is being advanced as an effective approach to improve the sustainability of mobility, especially in densely populated urban areas. MaaS can be defined as the integration of various transport modes into a single service, accessible on demand, via a seamless digital planning and payment...

Circling the square: Governance of the circular economy transition in the Amsterdam metropolitan area

Circular economy (CE), the new ‘buzzword’ in urban and regional studies and policy debates, is about shifting from a linear production process towards a circular one in which the generation of waste is minimised, materials circulate in ‘closed loops’, and waste is not considered a burden but rather a resource that brings new economic...

Policies Towards Migrants in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Region, China: Does Local Hukou Still Matter after the Hukou Reform?

The 2014 hukou reform introduced by the Chinese central government was a turning point in China’s policies towards migration. Different from the previous hukou policies, which were largely exclusionary, the reformed policy encouraged migrants to permanently settle in their destination cities and make use of the public services available there....

(Re)Connecting Borders: Functional and institutional integration in relation to the urban pattern of the cross-border Euregio Maas-Rijn

The Euregio Maas-Rijn can be considered a Polycentric Urban Region (PUR), a region that consists mostly of medium and small-sized cities. The region is divided by three national borders, but the opening of European borders has enabled the region to cooperate more. PUR’s have access to the same level of agglomeration benefits as a single, large...

Urban Regions Shifting to Circular Economy: Understanding Challenges for New Ways of Governance

Urban areas account for around 50% of global solid waste generation. In the last decade, the European Union has supported numerous initiatives aiming at reducing waste generation by promoting shifts towards Circular Economy (CE) approaches. Governing this process has become imperative. This article focuses on the results of a governance analysis...

Localising urbanisation trajectories: comparing the emergence of second-tier urban regions in Europe 1890-2011

This paper compares the emergence of urban regions around European second-tier cities based on population data between 1890 and 2011. It asks whether a characteristic trajectory of formation exists for those urban regions distinguishing them from the centrifugal growth typical of the early expansion stages of larger cities. The results are...

Boundary spanning for governance of climate change adaptation in cities: Insights from a Dutch urban region

Adapting to climate change in the urban setting requires cooperation across scales, levels of government, organisational boundaries and policy sectors. The study presented in the paper explores governance of urban adaptation policies through the conceptual lens of multi-level governance and boundary spanning. It focuses on the South Wing of the...

Contrasts between first-tier and second-tier cities in Europe: a functional perspective

Second-tier cities have been experiencing renewed interest within policy and research contexts, which is reversing a tradition of relative neglect due to the long-standing focus on large cities and capitals. This paper compares European second-tier and first-tier cities with regard to the presence of urban functions and how these are spread over...

Overcoming barriers to institutional integration in European second-tier urban regions

Within the debates about the socio-economic advantages of cohesive urban regions, several barriers to institutional integration are said to exist, especially when a metropolitan government is absent and integration relies on inter-municipal cooperation. Some barriers are associated with different urban region structures, such as the...

Enabling inhabitants to act sustainably: From dispersion to concentration in Kaunas region

Spatial transformation of the economy in the post-communist period: The case of the Vilnius urban region

Economic transformation has been gaining ground in the former socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe since the change of system. This descriptive paper explores the locational patterns of enterprise in the Vilnius urban region during the post-communist transition of Lithuania. Cartographical techniques are used to map the changes that...

Shifting Centralities, Shared Lines: A redefined role for the peri - urban space in Delhi, National Capital Region

Planning polycentric urban regions in North West Europe: Value, feasibility and design: Eurbanet report 2

Polynuclear urban regions and the transnational dimension of spatial planning: Proposals for multi-scalar planning in North West Europe

Polynuclear urban regions in north west Europe: A survey of key actor views