Assessing the Functional Polycentricity of the Mega-City-Region of Central Belgium Based on Advanced Producer Service Transaction Links

Heidi Hanssens, Ben Derudder, Stefan Van Aelst and Frank Witlox

Regional Studies, 2014, vol. 48, issue 12, 1939-1953

Abstract: Hanssens H., Derudder B., van Aelst S. and Witlox F. Assessing the functional polycentricity of the mega-city-region of Central Belgium based on advanced producer service transaction links, Regional Studies . This paper comments on three aspects of POLYNET's implementation of the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) model to measure functional polycentricity at the local scale. These aspects are: (1) the use of advanced producer services (APS) office locations as a proxy for inter-city relations, (2) the problematic calculation of the functional polycentricity index, and (3) the narrow conceptualization of functional polycentricity. Alternative methodologies based on transaction link data are introduced to examine whether Central Belgium displays features of a functionally polycentric mega-city-region. The results suggest that this is not the case: Central Belgium displays more features of a hierarchical urban system with Brussels as the dominant service city. However, some indications are found for a preliminary urban network formation.

Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/00343404.2012.759650 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:regstd:v:48:y:2014:i:12:p:1939-1953

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/CRES20

DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2012.759650

Access Statistics for this article

Regional Studies is currently edited by Ivan Turok

More articles in Regional Studies from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().