Nijmegen 11 October 2004 Potentials for polycentric development
Nijmegen, 11 October 2004 Potentials for polycentric development in Europe (ESPON project 1. 1. 1) Director Hallgeir Aalbu
Potentials for polycentricity? • Morphology and the degree of polycentricity in national urban systems • Typologies of FUAs and MEGAs based upon functional strengths • Potentials for polycentricity on the basis of proximity • Networks • Policy recommendations • Networking and further research
The building blocks: The 1, 595 functional urban areas (FUAs) in EU 27+2
Parameters for assessing the degree of polycentricity in urban networks
Degree of polycentricity in national FUA systems Based on - Rank size - Location - Connectivity
Correlation between the degree of polycentricity and GDP/cap, but not causality
A typology of FUAs, based on 5 functions: - population transport manufacturing GVA no of students head offices 76 MEGAs
A typology of MEGAs, based on - Mass: pop. +econ. - Competitiveness: GDP/cap+head off. - Connectivity: air pass. +accessib. - Knowledge basis: educ. +R&D empl.
Potentials for polycentricity: PUSH 45 minutes from FUA centres
Population in Potential Polycentric Integration Areas (PIAs)
Air flows as an example of transnational networks
Policies and partnerships • 18 of 29 countries claim to pursue polycentric development – Enhance urban competitiveness – Reduce disparities between urban areas • Spatial vision: only policy instrument that explicitly voices polycentricity • Governance and partnership is mainly discussed at local level – not at the micro/meso/macro levels
Policy recommendations • Improve ranking in the urban system (micro) – Focus on linkages and co-operation – Discuss urban structures in SWOTs • Balance within urban systems (meso) – Agenda setting and development strategies – Structural funds important in cohesion countries • GIZ beyond the Pentagon (macro) – Functional specialisation, not size
Networking and further research • A pan-European community is established • Issues for further research – New definition of FUA + data at that level – Data on flows necessary to integrate network dimensions – Indicators and data for functional spesialisation – The links between functions and policies – Possibilities for compensating lack of agglomeration by functional specialisation
- Slides: 14