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作者

来源

URBAN STUDIES,Vol.54,Issue1,P.269-291

语言

英文

关键字

agglomeration economies; agglomeration spillovers; network externalities; territorial development; urban system; POLYCENTRIC URBAN REGION; SMALL CITIES; ECONOMIC-GEOGRAPHY; POPULATION-GROWTH; SPATIAL STRUCTURE; EUROPEAN CITIES; AMENITIES; DYNAMICS; EXTERN

作者单位

[Meijers, Evert J.] Delft Univ Technol, NL-2600 AA Delft, Netherlands. [Burger, Martijn J.] Erasmus Univ, Rotterdam, Netherlands. Meijers, EJ (reprint author), Delft Univ Technol, Fac Architecture & Built Environm, Julianalaan 134, NL-2628 BL Delft, Netherlands. E-Mail: kafui.attoh@mail.cuny.edu

摘要

Borrowed size' is an emerging policy concept in several European countries, presenting theoretical potential to explain contemporary urban dynamics unaddressed through conventional urban growth theories that emphasise the role of agglomeration economies. In its original conceptualisation by Alonso, the concept describes and explains the situation that especially smaller cities that are located in a larger megapolitan complex' do perform better because they have access to agglomeration benefits of larger neighbouring cities. This paper scrutinises the concept of borrowed size, thereby focusing on its conceptualisation and reviewing its empirical justification thus far. Our empirical analyses show that the concept must be stretched in terms of scale and scope to enhance its policy value. Borrowed size occurs when a city possesses urban functions and/or performance levels normally associated with larger cities. This is enabled through interactions in networks of cities across multiple spatial scales. These networks serve as a substitute for the benefits of agglomeration. Theoretically, the borrowed size concept demands a recasting of the geographical foundations of agglomeration theory.