Polycentricity measures and regional disparities
2013
Hazners, J., Latvia Univ. of Agriculture, Jelgava (Latvia);Latvian State Inst. of Agrarian Economics, Riga (Latvia) | Jirgena, H., Latvian Academy of Sciences, Riga (Latvia). Inst. of Economics
The concept of polycentric development at multinational, national and regional level is broadly used in academic research of regional development and spatial planning. It is also reflected in the normative agenda by the European Union. However, polycentricity has been considered a fuzzy concept, and it still lacks commonly accepted definition or measurement methods. Albeit a plethora of researchers and policy makers favours polycentric development as a tool for reduction of regional disparities, these statements are not based on empirical foundations. The research objectives are twofold and consecutive. The first objective is to define the morphological measures of polycentricity and apply these measures at country level. The second objective is to empirically test the following hypotheses: regional disparities in countries with polycentric urban system are less pronounced than in countries with monocentric urban system; income distribution in countries with polycentric urban system is more equal than in countries with monocentric urban system. The hypotheses stated by the objective of the study can be rejected: regional disparities in countries with polycentric urban system are not less pronounced than in countries with monocentric urban system; income distribution in countries with polycentric urban system is not more equal than in countries with monocentric urban system. The research results clearly suggest the polycentric development cannot be considered a tool for diminishing regional disparities and providing more cohesion between regions.
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