Presentation Transcript
Slide1: Polycentrism in Europe
Simin Davoudi
Professor of Planning and Environment
Director of CUDEM
Leeds Metropolitan University
European Spatial Development Perspective: European Spatial Development Perspective
The ESDP
1991
Committee of Spatial
Development
Potsdam
Outline : Outline Unpack the concept of polycentricity
Trace its origin
Clarify its multiple interpretations at various spatial scales
Examine its meaning in the ESDP
Polycentrism and Multiple Interpretations: Polycentrism and Multiple Interpretations
A strategic spatial planning tool
A specific form of urban structure
A socio-economic policy goal
A ‘place-marketing’ image
Polycentrism at Multiple Spatial Scales: Polycentrism at Multiple Spatial Scales
Intra-urban scale (or internal city structure)
Inter-urban (or intra-regional) scale
Inter-regional (or intra-European) scale
Intra-Urban Scale: Intra-Urban Scale Cities continue to grow outwards
Their growth patterns are conceptualised by:
Monocentric models
Polycentric models
Intra-Urban Scale Monocentric Model: Intra-Urban Scale Monocentric Model This model describes the
city as a circular
residential area
surrounding a central
business district in which
all jobs are located.
(Ernest Burgess, 1925)
The Future of Urban Forms : The Future of Urban Forms Kevin Lynch, 1961
The Pattern of Metropolis
Urban Star
Core City
Urban Galaxy
……..
The Future of Urban Forms: The Future of Urban Forms Catherine Wurster, 1963:
… the Future of Urban Complex
Constellation of
diversified and
integrated cities
The Demise of Monocentricity: The Demise of Monocentricity The monocentric model, fit for the ideal 19th C. city,
became irrelevant in the face of:
Rapid decentralisation of economic activities
Increased mobility through new transport technologies
Multiplicity of travel patterns and complex cross-commuting
Changes in household structure and lifestyle
Intra-Urban Scale Polycentric Model: Intra-Urban Scale Polycentric Model The shift to a polycentric pattern of urban growth has
been driven by:
The changing economic relationships within and between firms
The significance of agglomeration economies in distribution of employment and population
The tendency of firms to cluster when spatial transactional costs are high
The Polycentric City: The Polycentric City
Polycentric city consists of a centre and a number of concentrated sub-centres with high population and employment density
Polycentricity versus Dispersion : Polycentricity versus Dispersion Polycentric city:
An organised system of
sub-centres
Dispersed city:
An unorganised urban
sprawl
Halt in Decentralisation: Halt in Decentralisation Break up in the pattern
of decentralisation due
to:
A return to urban living
The sustainability ‘pull’
The pro-active urban policy measures
It is happening in America, too!: It is happening in America, too!
Not all population movements are centrifugal
Inter-Urban Scale: Inter-Urban Scale Polycentric urban region (PUR):
a region with three or
more historically and
politically separate cities
with little hierarchical
ranking in a reasonable
proximity and with
functional interconnections
European Examples of PUR: European Examples of PUR Flemish Diamond
in Flanders, Belgium
Brussels
Leuven
Antwerp
Ghent
European Examples of PUR: European Examples of PUR Rhine-Ruhr in Germany
Dortmund
Essen
Dusseldorf
Cologne
Bonn
European Examples of PUR: European Examples of PUR
Padua-Treviso-Venice
Area in Northern Italy
Other Examples of PUR: Other Examples of PUR Kansai in Japan
Osaka
Kyoto
Kobe
Archetypical Example of PUR: Archetypical Example of PUR Randstad in Holland
Amsterdam
Utrecht
The Hague
Rotterdam
And, the Green Heart
Problems of Definition: Problems of Definition A PUR is a region with three or more cities in a reasonable proximity and with functional interconnection
What is a reasonable proximity?
How do we measure functional interconnection?
What is a reasonable proximity?: What is a reasonable proximity?
One hour (Geddes, 1915)
40 minutes (Blumenfeld, 1971)
Half an hour (Batten, 1995)
???
How do we measure functional interconnection?: How do we measure functional interconnection? A common criterion is the labour market flows based on journey-to-work statistics
But, what about:
Non-work trip-generation activities
Other flows such as: resources, goods and information?
Capturing Complex Interrelationships: Capturing Complex Interrelationships
‘Western Wedge’
of London
London – Berkshire
area
Inter-Regional Scale: Inter-Regional Scale Megalopolis
resulted “from the
coalescence of a chain of
metropolitan areas, each
of which has grown
around a substantial
urban nucleus”
(Gottmann, 1957)
Inter-Regional Scale: Inter-Regional Scale Urban field “is a mosaic
of different forms and
micro-environments
which co-exist within a
common communication
framework, a new scale
of urban living … ”
(Friedmann & Miller, 1965)
Inter-Regional Scale: Inter-Regional Scale
Ecumenopolis, or world city, comprises of
interconnected settlements across the world.
(Doxiadis, 1968)
Is the time-space dimension shrinking?
Inter-Regional Scale: Inter-Regional Scale BeSeTo
Urban Corridor
in East Asia:
Beijing
Seoul
Tokyo
The ESDP and the Intra-European Scale of Polycentricity : The ESDP and the Intra-European Scale of Polycentricity
ESDP promotes
polycentricity at the level
of Europe as whole to
achieve:
Economic competitiveness
Social cohesion
EU Economic Competitiveness Agenda: EU Economic Competitiveness Agenda The ‘pentagon’:
a single zone of global
economic integration
London, Paris, Milan,
Munich and Hamburg
50% of GDP
40% of population
20% of area
EU Social Cohesion Agenda: EU Social Cohesion Agenda
Persistent regional
disparities are set to
grow
EU territory is not a
level playing field
EU Core – Periphery Image : EU Core – Periphery Image European Megalopolis (Gottmann, 1976)
Golden Triangle (Cheshire & Hay, 1989)
The Blue Banana (Brunet, 1989)
The pentagon (ESDP, 1999)
Polycentricity as a Normative Agenda: Polycentricity as a Normative Agenda The ESDP promotes polycentrism to:
Challenge the polarised image of Europe
Make the EU:
Economically more competitive
Socially and spatially more equitable
Polycentricity as a Normative Agenda: Polycentricity as a Normative Agenda
A Bunch of Grapes (Kunzmann & Wegener, 1991)
Challenges to the ESDP’s Promotion of Polycentricity : Challenges to the ESDP’s Promotion of Polycentricity
Is a zero-sum game achievable?
What kind of policies are most effective?
What is to be done?
Is the PUR a panacea for economic competitiveness?
Can a PUR be created ‘artificially’?
Polycentricity? : Polycentricity? Polycentricity started as a tentative notion, a provisional working model. But, all too swiftly, it has become hardened into an idée fixe. It now appears everywhere.
Instead of being used as an aid to describe an existing or merging reality, it is coming to determine that reality.