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Questioning Polycentric Development and its Effects. Issues of Definition and Measurement for the Italian NUTS-2 Regions

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Listed:
  • Paolo Veneri
  • David Burgalassi

Abstract

Polycentric development is a widely used term both in academic research and in the normative agenda. However, its theoretical foundations and economic implications are still unclear and the concept of polycentricity still does not have a shared definition or a shared measurement method. The aim of this study is two-fold. First, it defines and measures polycentricity at a NUTS-2 regional level, by comparing functional and morphological methods. Second, in the light of the role assigned to polycentric development in terms of policy, the study investigates the relationships between the degree of regional polycentricity and the key economic variables of performance, namely, competitiveness, social cohesion and environmental sustainability. Our main finding was that functional and morphological methods lead to similar results. In addition, we find a correlation between polycentricity and a more unequal income distribution and a higher level of productivity, especially when polycentricity was measured in functional terms. No stable correlations were found between polycentricity and measures of environmental sustainability, such as land consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:eurpls:v:20:y:2011:i:6:p:1017-1037
    DOI: 10.1080/09654313.2012.673566
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    Cited by:

    1. Rosanna Salvia & Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir & Sirio Cividino & Luca Salvati & Giovanni Quaranta, 2020. "From Rural Spaces to Peri-Urban Districts: Metropolitan Growth, Sparse Settlements and Demographic Dynamics in a Mediterranean Region," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-20, June.
    2. 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.
    3. Paola Bertolini & Enrico Giovanetti & Francesco Pagliacci, 2011. "Regional Patterns in the Achievement of the Lisbon Strategy: a Comparison Between Polycentric Regions and Monocentric Ones," Department of Economics 0664, University of Modena and Reggio E., Faculty of Economics "Marco Biagi".
    4. Antonio TACHE & Monica Tache & Sorin Daniel MANOLE, 2016. "Polycentricity functional analysis of the Romanian counties," Romanian Statistical Review Supplement, Romanian Statistical Review, vol. 64(6), pages 20-36, june.
    5. 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.
    6. Daniela Smiraglia & Luca Salvati & Gianluca Egidi & Rosanna Salvia & Antonio Giménez-Morera & Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir, 2021. "Toward a New Urban Cycle? A Closer Look to Sprawl, Demographic Transitions and the Environment in Europe," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-14, January.
    7. 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.
    8. Kyusang Kwon & Minho Seo, 2018. "Does the Polycentric Urban Region Contribute to Economic Performance? The Case of Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-10, November.
    9. 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.
    10. Ivan Muñiz & Miguel-Àngel García-López, 2012. "Chaos and order in the contemporary city. The impact of urban spatial structure on population density and commuting distance in Barcelona, 1986-2001," Working Papers wpdea1207, Department of Applied Economics at Universitat Autonoma of Barcelona.
    11. Gianluca Egidi & Sirio Cividino & Sabato Vinci & Adele Sateriano & Rosanna Salvia, 2020. "Towards Local Forms of Sprawl: A Brief Reflection on Mediterranean Urbanization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-16, January.
    12. Gianluca Egidi & Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir & Sirio Cividino & Giovanni Quaranta & Luca Salvati & Andrea Colantoni, 2020. "Rural in Town: Traditional Agriculture, Population Trends, and Long-Term Urban Expansion in Metropolitan Rome," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-15, February.
    13. Mingshu Wang & Ben Derudder & Xingjian Liu, 2019. "Polycentric urban development and economic productivity in China: A multiscalar analysis," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 51(8), pages 1622-1643, November.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • R14 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Land Use Patterns

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