How Polycentric Are our Cities? An Analysis for Spain’s Seven Large Metropolitan Areas

Authors

  • Carlos Marmolejo Duarte
  • Nancy Ruiz Estupiñán
  • Moira Tornés Fernández

Keywords:

Polycentrism, new urban economy, metropolitan structure, Spanish Urban Systems

Abstract

In Spain the debate about urban structure has mostly focused on the study of la
polynucleation, i.e., on identifying subcentres, characterising them demographically and
economically, and studying their influence on their environment. However, scant attention has been
paid to something that would appear to be fundamental for the study of contemporary metropolitan
areas: analysis of the interconnections between subcentres. In this paper we use the indicator of
polycentricity proposed by Green, applying data on labour mobility to analyse the functioning of
Spain’s main metropolitan areas as a network. Based on this indicator and those obtained from
previous research on polynucleation, we attempt to bring them together to set the basis for an
integrated polycentrism measure. The results suggest that the greater the degree of polynucleation,
the greater the level of polycentricity will be, except for Málaga, which is more polynucleated than
non-polycentric in functional terms. We also highlight that relevant orbital links (subcentre to
subcentre) are currently a rarity, found in areas such as Bilbao and, particularly, Barcelona. The
regression models analysed to reveal the factors that underlie the level of interlinking between
areas bring to the fore the important role in mobility that is played by the lack coordination in urban
development to provide housing and employment in accordance with people’s socio-professional
profiles.

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Published

2015-12-18

How to Cite

Marmolejo Duarte, C., Ruiz Estupiñán, N., & Tornés Fernández, M. (2015). How Polycentric Are our Cities? An Analysis for Spain’s Seven Large Metropolitan Areas. Ciudad Y Territorio Estudios Territoriales, 47(186), 679–700. Retrieved from https://recyt.fecyt.es/index.php/CyTET/article/view/76439

Issue

Vol. XLVII, núm. 186 (2015)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2015 Carlos Marmolejo Duarte, Nancy Ruiz Estupiñán, Moira Tornés Fernández

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