IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/urbstu/v49y2012i16p3627-3644.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Functional Polycentricity: Examining Metropolitan Spatial Structure through the Connectivity of Urban Sub-centres

Author

Listed:
  • Antti Vasanen

Abstract

A shift from monocentric cities to increasingly polycentric urban regions has been widely recognised in recent research literature. Although polycentricity in general refers to the existence of several adjacent centres within the same area, many studies have emphasised that functional linkages between the centres of an urban system are also an essential part of polycentricity. Despite the increasing number of studies concerning functional polycentricity, research on the subject is still in a development phase. In this paper, a new approach to measure functional polycentricity is presented, in which functional polycentricity is approached through the connectivity of individual centres to the whole urban system. The paper illustrates the potential of the method with empirical case studies addressing the urban spatial structures of three functional urban regions in Finland. In the case studies, detailed commuting data are used in order to measure the degree of functional polycentricity.

Suggested Citation

  • Antti Vasanen, 2012. "Functional Polycentricity: Examining Metropolitan Spatial Structure through the Connectivity of Urban Sub-centres," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(16), pages 3627-3644, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:49:y:2012:i:16:p:3627-3644
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098012447000
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0042098012447000
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0042098012447000?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alex Anas & Richard Arnott & Kenneth A. Small, 1998. "Urban Spatial Structure," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 36(3), pages 1426-1464, September.
    2. Michael Hoyler & Robert Kloosterman & Martin Sokol, 2008. "Polycentric Puzzles - Emerging Mega-City Regions Seen through the Lens of Advanced Producer Services," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(8), pages 1055-1064.
    3. Giuliano, Genevieve & Small, Kenneth A., 1991. "Subcenters in the Los Angeles region," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 163-182, July.
    4. Scott, Allen J. (ed.), 2001. "Global City-Regions: Trends, Theory, Policy," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198297994, Decembrie.
    5. Ludovic Halbert, 2004. "The Decentralization of Intrametropolitan Business Services in the Paris Region: Patterns, Interpretation, Consequences," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 80(4), pages 381-404, October.
    6. Martijn Burger & Evert Meijers, 2012. "Form Follows Function? Linking Morphological and Functional Polycentricity," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(5), pages 1127-1149, April.
    7. Frank van Oort & Martijn Burger & Otto Raspe, 2010. "On the Economic Foundation of the Urban Network Paradigm: Spatial Integration, Functional Integration and Economic Complementarities within the Dutch Randstad," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 47(4), pages 725-748, April.
    8. P. J. Taylor & D. M. Evans & K. Pain, 2008. "Application of the Interlocking Network Model to Mega-City-Regions: Measuring Polycentricity Within and Beyond City-Regions," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(8), pages 1079-1093.
    9. Evert Meijers, 2008. "Measuring Polycentricity and its Promises," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(9), pages 1313-1323, October.
    10. John Parr, 2004. "The Polycentric Urban Region: A Closer Inspection," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(3), pages 231-240.
    11. John Parr, 2005. "Perspectives on the city-region," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(5), pages 555-566.
    12. Lambert van der Laan, 1998. "Commuting in multinodal urban systems: An empirical comparison of three alternative models," ERSA conference papers ersa98p252, European Regional Science Association.
    13. François Riguelle & Isabelle Thomas & Ann Verhetsel, 2007. "Measuring urban polycentrism: a European case study and its implications," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 7(2), pages 193-215, March.
    14. Lambert van der Laan, 1998. "Changing Urban Systems: An Empirical Analysis at Two Spatial Levels," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(3), pages 235-247.
    15. Simin Davoudi, 2003. "EUROPEAN BRIEFING: Polycentricity in European spatial planning: from an analytical tool to a normative agenda," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(8), pages 979-999, December.
    16. Robert Lang & Paul Knox, 2009. "The New Metropolis: Rethinking Megalopolis," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(6), pages 789-802.
    17. Bastiaan De Goei & Martijn Burger & Frank Van Oort & Michael Kitson, 2010. "Functional Polycentrism and Urban Network Development in the Greater South East, United Kingdom: Evidence from Commuting Patterns, 1981-2001," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(9), pages 1149-1170.
    18. John F. McDonald & Paul J. Prather, 1994. "Suburban Employment Centres: The Case of Chicago," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 31(2), pages 201-218, March.
    19. L. van der, J., R. Laan Vogelsang Schalke, 1998. "Commuting in Multi‐Nodal Urban Systems: An Empirical Comparison of Three Alternative Models," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 89(4), pages 384-400, November.
    20. Evert Meijers, 2007. "Clones or Complements? The Division of Labour between the Main Cities of the Randstad, the Flemish Diamond and the RheinRuhr Area," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(7), pages 889-900.
    21. McMillen, Daniel P., 2001. "Nonparametric Employment Subcenter Identification," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 448-473, November.
    22. Peter Hall, 2009. "Looking Backward, Looking Forward: The City Region of the Mid-21st Century," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(6), pages 803-817.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jae Ik Kim & Chang Hwan Yeo & Jin-Hwi Kwon, 2014. "Spatial change in urban employment distribution in Seoul metropolitan city: clustering, dispersion and general dispersion," International Journal of Urban Sciences, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(3), pages 355-372, November.
    2. Antti Vasanen, 2013. "Spatial Integration and Functional Balance in Polycentric Urban Systems: A Multi-Scalar Approach," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 104(4), pages 410-425, September.
    3. Luca Salvati & Giuseppe Venanzoni & Pere Serra & Margherita Carlucci, 2016. "Scattered or polycentric? Untangling urban growth in three southern European metropolitan regions through exploratory spatial data analysis," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 57(1), pages 1-29, July.
    4. Wen Chen & Komali Yenneti & Yehua Dennis Wei & Feng Yuan & Jiawei Wu & Jinlong Gao, 2019. "Polycentricity in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRDUA): More Cohesion or More Disparities?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-18, June.
    5. Cats, Oded & Wang, Qian & Zhao, Yu, 2015. "Identification and classification of public transport activity centres in Stockholm using passenger flows data," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 10-22.
    6. Xiaoyan Li & Yanchuan Mou & Huiying Wang & Chaohui Yin & Qingsong He, 2018. "How Does Polycentric Urban Form Affect Urban Commuting? Quantitative Measurement Using Geographical Big Data of 100 Cities in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-14, December.
    7. Loris Servillo & Rob Atkinson & Abdelillah Hamdouch & Loris Servillo & Antonio Paolo Russo, 2017. "Spatial Trends of Towns in Europe: The Performance of Regions with Low Degree of Urbanisation," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 108(4), pages 403-423, September.
    8. Francesca Mariani & Ilaria Zambon & Luca Salvati, 2018. "Population Matters: Identifying Metropolitan Sub-Centers from Diachronic Density-Distance Curves, 1960–2010," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-16, December.
    9. Yong Liu & Peilei Fan & Wenze Yue & Jingnan Huang & Dong Li & Zongshun Tian, 2019. "Assessing Polycentric Urban Development in Mountainous Cities: The Case of Chongqing Metropolitan Area, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-15, May.
    10. Amedeo Ganciu & Mara Balestrieri & Cristina Imbroglini & Fabrizio Toppetti, 2018. "Dynamics of Metropolitan Landscapes and Daily Mobility Flows in the Italian Context. An Analysis Based on the Theory of Graphs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-27, February.
    11. Martijn J. Burger & Evert J. Meijers & Frank G. van Oort, 2014. "Editorial: The Development and Functioning of Regional Urban Systems," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(12), pages 1921-1925, December.
    12. Yongqiang Lv & Xinqi Zheng & Lin Zhou & Lulu Zhang, 2017. "Decentralization and Polycentricity: Spatial Changes of Employment in Beijing Metropolitan Area, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-17, October.
    13. Zuo Zhang & Xinhai Lu & Min Zhou & Yan Song & Xiang Luo & Bing Kuang, 2019. "Complex Spatial Morphology of Urban Housing Price Based on Digital Elevation Model: A Case Study of Wuhan City, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-17, January.
    14. Yuyao Ye & Changjian Wang & Yuling Zhang & Kangmin Wu & Qitao Wu & Yongxian Su, 2017. "Low-Carbon Transportation Oriented Urban Spatial Structure: Theory, Model and Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-16, December.
    15. Somwrita Sarkar & Hao Wu & David Levinson, 2020. "Sarkar, Somwrita, Wu, Hao and Levinson, D. (2020) Measuring polycentricity via network flows, spatial interaction, and percolation," Working Papers 2022-01, University of Minnesota: Nexus Research Group.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Antti Vasanen, 2013. "Spatial Integration and Functional Balance in Polycentric Urban Systems: A Multi-Scalar Approach," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 104(4), pages 410-425, September.
    2. Chen Zhong & Markus Schläpfer & Stefan Müller Arisona & Michael Batty & Carlo Ratti & Gerhard Schmitt, 2017. "Revealing centrality in the spatial structure of cities from human activity patterns," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 54(2), pages 437-455, February.
    3. Peng Ji & Lilin Yuan, 2023. "Whether polycentric spatial structure is conducive to regional coordinated development: A study on urban agglomerations in China," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(4), pages 940-961, December.
    4. Colin Jones, 2017. "Spatial economy and the geography of functional economic areas," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 44(3), pages 486-503, May.
    5. Martijn Burger & Evert Meijers, 2012. "Form Follows Function? Linking Morphological and Functional Polycentricity," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(5), pages 1127-1149, April.
    6. Vicente Romero de à vila Serrano, 2019. "The Intrametropolitan Geography of Knowledge-Intensive Business Services (KIBS): A Comparative Analysis of Six European and U.S. City-Regions," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 33(4), pages 279-295, November.
    7. Cats, Oded & Wang, Qian & Zhao, Yu, 2015. "Identification and classification of public transport activity centres in Stockholm using passenger flows data," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 10-22.
    8. Michiel van Meeteren & Ate Poorthuis & Ben Derudder & Frank Witlox, 2016. "Pacifying Babel’s Tower: A scientometric analysis of polycentricity in urban research," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 53(6), pages 1278-1298, May.
    9. Feng, Yuhao & Wu, Shufan & Wu, Peixin & Su, Shiliang & Weng, Min & Bian, Meng, 2018. "Spatiotemporal characterization of megaregional poly-centrality: Evidence for new urban hypotheses and implications for polycentric policies," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 712-731.
    10. Paolo Veneri & David Burgalassi, 2011. "Questioning Polycentric Development and its Effects. Issues of Definition and Measurement for the Italian NUTS-2 Regions," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(6), pages 1017-1037, January.
    11. Volgmann, Kati, 2012. "Neue Kerne in metropolitanen Räumen: Polyzentrische Strukturen und Funktionen im Metropolraum Rhein-Ruhr," Arbeitsberichte der ARL: Aufsätze, in: Growe, Anna & Heider, Katharina & Lamker, Christian & Paßlick, Sandra & Terfrüchte, Thomas (ed.), Polyzentrale Stadtregionen - Die Region als planerischer Handlungsraum, volume 3, pages 203-216, ARL – Akademie für Raumentwicklung in der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft.
    12. Nancy Ruiz Estupiñán & Carlos Marmolejo Duarte & Moira Tornés Fernández, 2013. "Functional Polycentricity And Its Role In The Emergence Of Structural Places. The Case Of Major Spanish Metropolitan Areas," ERSA conference papers ersa13p634, European Regional Science Association.
    13. Paolo Veneri, 2010. "Urban Polycentricity and the Costs of Commuting: Evidence from Italian Metropolitan Areas," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(3), pages 403-429, September.
    14. Frank van Oort & Martijn Burger & Otto Raspe, 2010. "On the Economic Foundation of the Urban Network Paradigm: Spatial Integration, Functional Integration and Economic Complementarities within the Dutch Randstad," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 47(4), pages 725-748, April.
    15. Angelika Münter & Kati Volgmann, 2021. "Polycentric regions: Proposals for a new typology and terminology," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(4), pages 677-695, March.
    16. Weiyang Zhang & Ben Derudder, 2019. "How sensitive are measures of polycentricity to the choice of ‘centres’? A methodological and empirical exploration," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 56(16), pages 3339-3357, December.
    17. de Goei, B. & Burger, M.J. & van Oort, F.G. & Kitson, M., 2009. "Functional Polycentrism and Urban Network Development in the Greater South East UK: Evidence from Commuting Patterns, 1981-2001," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2009-038-ORG, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    18. Yoonjee Baek & Heesun Joo, 2022. "A Study on the Spatial Structure of the Bu-Ul-Gyeong Megacity Using the City Network Paradigm," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-21, November.
    19. Paolo VENERI, 2010. "The Identification of Sub-centres in Two Italian Metropolitan Areas: a Functional Approach," Working Papers 343, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
    20. Jaume Masip Tresserra, 2012. "Identifying the Employment and Population Centers at regional and metropolitan scale: The Case of Catalonia and Barcelona," ERSA conference papers ersa12p70, European Regional Science Association.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:49:y:2012:i:16:p:3627-3644. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/urbanstudiesjournal .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.