The spatial economy can be visualised as a web of overlapping markets or functional areas linked to different activities. Unfortunately, very often administrative regions and local authority areas are used as proxies for functional areas, but they have serious shortcomings for spatial economic analysis and the implementation of local policies. The spatial economy is viewed here as a complex network of economic flows within a hierarchical urban system. This paper constructs a comprehensive geography of functional economic areas by first using consistent criteria based on commuting and migration flows for England. The analysis next superimposes a central place hierarchy derived from retail sales and office centre rents. It then classifies these functional economic areas offering insights into the spatial economy of England. The geography queries the relevance of core/surrounding models of urban form as large local labour market areas comprise in some cases more than 20 housing market areas. While the research uses England as a case study, the analysis is of generic significance to the spatial economies of developed countries. The paper also raises a number of methodological and data issues for further development.
AnasAArnottRSmallKA (1998) Urban spatial structure. Journal of Economic Literature36(3): 1426–1464.
2.
BaileyNTurokI (2001) Central Scotland as a polycentric urban region: useful planning concept or Chimera?Urban Studies38(4): 697–715.
3.
Berry BJL, Goheen P and Goldstein H (1968) Metropolitan Area Definition: A Re-evaluation of Concept and Statistical Practice. Working Paper 28, Washington DC.
CamagniRCapelloR (2004) The city network paradigm: theory and empirical evidence. In: CapelloRNijkampP (eds) Urban Dynamics and Growth, Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 495–529.
6.
CastellsM (1989) The Informational City: Information Technology, Economic Restructuring and the Urban-Regional Process, Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
7.
Centre for Cities (2015) Cities Outlook 2015, London: Centre for Cities.
8.
CoombesM (2010) Defining labour market areas by analysing commuting data: innovative methods in the 2007 Review of Travel-to-Work Areas. In: StillwellJDuke-WilliamsODennettA (eds) Technologies for Migration and Commuting Analysis: Spatial Interaction Data Applications, New York: Hershey, pp. 227–241. .
9.
CoombesM (2014) From city-region concept to boundaries for governance: the English case. Urban Studies51(11): 2426–2443.
10.
DavoudiS (2003) Polycentricity in European spatial planning: from an analytical tool to a normative agenda?European Planning Studies11: 979–999.
11.
DielemanFMFaludiA (1998) Polynucleated metropolitan regions in Northwest Europe: theme of the special issue. European Planning Studies6(4): 365–377.
12.
DunseNJonesC (2005) UK roads policy, accessibility and industrial property rents. In: AdamsDWatkinsCWhiteM (eds) Planning, Public Policy and Property Markets, Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 128–147. .
13.
EppliMJBenjaminJD (1994) The evolution of shopping center research: a review and analysis. Iournal of Real Estate Research9(1): 5–32.
14.
EvansAW (1973) The Economics of Residential Location, London: Macmillan.
15.
GarreauJ (1991) Edge City: Life on the New Frontier, New York: Anchor Books.
16.
Genecon (2011) Understanding High Street Performance, London: Department of Business Innovation and Skills.
17.
GoelB deBurgerMOortFG (2010) Functional polycentrism and urban network development in the Greater South East UK: evidence from commuting patterns, 1981–2001. Regional Studies44(9): 1149–1170.
18.
GoodmanJFB (1970) The definition and analysis of local labour markets: some empirical problems. British Journal of Industrial Relations8: 179–196.
19.
GordonPRichardsonHWWongH (1986) The distribution of population and employment in a polycentric city: the case of Los Angeles. Environment and Planning A18: 161–173.
20.
GottmanJ (1961) Megalopolis: The Urbanized Northeastern Seaboard of the United States, New York: Twentieth Century Fund.
21.
GuyCM (1990) Outshopping from small towns. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management18(3): 3–14.
22.
HallP (2009) Looking backward, looking forward: The city region of the mid-21st century. Regional Studies43(6): 803–817.
23.
HallPHayD (1980) Growth Centres in the European Urban System, London: Heinemann.
24.
HealeyP (2009) City regions and place development. Regional Studies43(6): 831–843.
25.
IngramGK (1998) Patterns of metropolitan development: What have we learnt?Urban Studies35(7): 1019–1035.
26.
JonesC (2013) Office Markets and Public Policy, Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
27.
JonesCOrrA (1999) Local commercial and industrial rental trends and property market constraints. Urban Studies36(3): 223–237.
28.
JonesCWatkinsC (2009) Housing Markets and Planning Policy, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
29.
JonesCCoombesMDunseN (2012) Tiered housing markets and their relationship to labour market areas. Urban Studies49(12): 2633–2650.
30.
JonesCLeishmanCMacDonaldC (2009) Sustainable urban form and residential development viability. Environment and Planning A41(7): 1667–1690.
31.
Korcelli P (2008) Review of typologies of European rural–urban regions. Plurel Report 2.1.1, European Union, Brussels. Available at: http://www.plurel.net/images/D211.pdf (accessed 30 May 2013).
32.
LangRKnoxPK (2009) The new metropolis: rethinking megalopolis. Regional Studies43(6): 789–802.
33.
LangREBlakeleyEJGoughMZ (2005) Keys to the new metropolis: America's big, fast-growing suburban counties. Journal of the American Institute of Planning71(4): 381–391.
34.
LeeSSeoJGWebsterC (2006) The decentralising metropolis: economic diversity and commuting in the US suburbs. Urban Studies43(13): 2325–2549.
35.
MarvinSHardingARobsonB (2006) A framework for city-regions, London: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
36.
MuthR (1969) Cities and Housing, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
37.
OortF vanBurgerMRaspeO (2010) On the economic foundation of the urban network paradigm: Spatial integration, Randstad functional integration and economic complementarities within the Dutch Randstad. Urban Studies47(4): 725–748.
38.
ParkinsonMChampionTEvansR (2006) State of the English cities, London: Office of Deputy Prime Minister.
39.
ParrJ (2004) The polycentric urban region: a closer inspection. Regional Studies38(3): 231–240.
40.
ParrJ (2005) Perspectives on the city-region. Regional Studies39(5): 555–566.
41.
ParrJ (2014) The regional economy, spatial structure and regional urban systems. Regional Studies48(12): 1926–1938.
42.
ParrJBJonesC (1983) City size distribution and urban density functions: some inter-relationships. Journal of Regional Science23: 283–307.
43.
PoweNAShawT (2004) Exploring the current and future role of market towns in servicing their hinterlands: a case study of Alnwick in the North East of England. Journal of Rural Studies20: 405–418.
44.
ReynoldsJSchillerR (1992) A new classification of shopping centres in Great Britain using multiple branch numbers. Journal of Property Research9(2): 122–160.
45.
Schiller R (1986) Retail decentralisation: the coming of the third wave. The Planner July: 13–15.
46.
ScottA (2001) Globalization and the rise of city-regions. European Planning Studies9: 813–826.
47.
VanceJEJr (1977) This scene of man: the role and structure of the city in the geography of western civilization, New York: Harper's College Press.
