Abstract/Summary

In a globalising world economy, cities have increasingly come to be defined not by their size in terms of built up area or population but by their functions in the networks constructed by cross-territorial capital flows. In contemporary inter-city networks, city regions are differentiated not only by their physical pattern of urban development but also by their functional pattern in network space. However, the concept of city region ‘polycentrism’ has commonly referred to morphological space without paying due regard to network space, functions and flows. This paper dissects the concept of polycentrism by examining interrelationships and distinctions between city region network and morphological space development in mature and developing economy contexts with reference to research conducted in South East England and in the Mid-Yangtze River region, China. It is concluded that a more progressive definition of polycentrism is needed to inform coordinated strategic city region policy.