Transcript Project 1.1.1

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