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Beyond Polycentricity: Does Stronger Integration Between Cities in Polycentric Urban Regions Improve Performance?

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  • Evert Meijers
  • Marloes Hoogerbrugge
  • Rodrigo Cardoso

Abstract

A quarter of the European population lives in ‘polycentric urban regions’ (PURs): clusters of historically and administratively distinct but proximate and well†connected cities of relatively similar size. This paper explores whether tighter integration can increase agglomeration benefits at the PUR†level. We provide the first comprehensive list of European PURs (117 in total), establish their level of functional, institutional and cultural integration and measure whether this affects their performance. ‘Performance’ is defined as the extent to which urbanisation economies have developed, proxied by the presence of metropolitan functions. In this first†ever cross†sectional analysis of PURs we find that while there is evidence for all dimensions of integration having a positive effect, particularly functional integration has great significance. Regarding institutional integration, it appears that having some form of metropolitan co†operation is more important than its exact shape. Theoretically, our results substantiate the assumption that networks may substitute for proximity.

Suggested Citation

  • Evert Meijers & Marloes Hoogerbrugge & Rodrigo Cardoso, 2018. "Beyond Polycentricity: Does Stronger Integration Between Cities in Polycentric Urban Regions Improve Performance?," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 109(1), pages 1-21, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:tvecsg:v:109:y:2018:i:1:p:1-21
    DOI: 10.1111/tesg.12292
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    1. Chun Li & Jianhua He & Xingwu Duan, 2020. "Modeling the Collaborative Evolution of Urban Land Considering Urban Interactions under Intermediate Intervention, in the Urban Agglomeration in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-18, June.
    2. Di Zhu & Yinghong Wang & Shangui Peng & Fenglin Zhang, 2022. "Influence Mechanism of Polycentric Spatial Structure on Urban Land Use Efficiency: A Moderated Mediation Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-18, December.
    3. Zheng, Linzi & Chen, Ke & Tan, Shukui & Yin, Chaohui & He, Qingsong & Wu, Jiayu, 2021. "Landscape expansion-place quality nexus revisited: How fundamental and transitory growth impact in China?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    4. David Burgalassi & Chiara Agnoletti & Leonardo Piccini, 2019. "Polycentricity and regional development: an analytical framework and some evidence from Italy," Discussion Papers 2019/249, Dipartimento di Economia e Management (DEM), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
    5. Yanting Tang & Jinlong Gao & Wen Chen, 2022. "The Spatial-Temporal Evolution of Population in the Yangtze River Delta, China: An Urban Hierarchy Perspective," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-15, October.
    6. Wan Li & Bindong Sun & Tinglin Zhang, 2019. "Spatial structure and labour productivity: Evidence from prefectures in China," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 56(8), pages 1516-1532, June.
    7. Tian, Meng & Wang, Yiwei & Wang, Yiran, 2023. "High-speed rail network and urban agglomeration economies: Research from the perspective of urban network externalities," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    8. Christophe Sohn & Julien Licheron & Evert Meijers, 2022. "Border cities: Out of the shadow," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 101(2), pages 417-438, April.
    9. Jiejing Wang, 2020. "Urban government capacity and economic performance: An analysis of Chinese cities," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 52(5), pages 981-1004, August.
    10. Haitao Ma & Yingcheng Li & Xiaodong Huang, 2021. "Proximity and the evolving knowledge polycentricity of megalopolitan science: Evidence from China’s Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, 1990–2016," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(12), pages 2405-2423, September.
    11. Wenfang Fu & Chuanjian Luo & Modan Yan, 2023. "Does Urban Agglomeration Promote the Development of Cities? Evidence from the Urban Network Externalities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-20, June.
    12. Shen, Liyin & Cheng, Guangyu & Du, Xiaoyun & Meng, Conghui & Ren, Yitian & Wang, Jinhuan, 2022. "Can urban agglomeration bring “1 + 1 > 2Effect”? A perspective of land resource carrying capacity," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    13. Stella Kostopoulou & Paraskevi-Kali Sofianou & Konstantinos Tsiokanos, 2021. "Silk Road Heritage Branding and Polycentric Tourism Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-18, February.
    14. 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.

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