Study on Urban Functions builds on the analysis of the European urban system as presented in the ESPON project 1.1.1 “Urban areas as nodes in a polycentric development”. It goes further in measuring the functional socio-economic specialisation of urban areas. Based on these new research findings, the project will update the typology of European urban areas developed within ESPON. The study will propose future research on the European urban system.

The ESPON 1.1.1 report, even though acknowledged by most readers as a step towards further understanding of the European urban system, raises many questions on conceptual and methodological aspects as well as in terms of results and policy recommendations. This study aims to answer those questions.

The project was launched in the framework of the European Spatial Planning Observatory Network (the ESPON programme) which is financed by the EU Community Initiative INTERREG IIIB.

This study project is not yet finished, the final results and conclusions are expected in October 2006. These will be made available through the ESPON website.

However, some preliminary findings on ESPON 1.1.1 are already available:

Free University of Brussels – IGEAT
Christian Vandermotten (Professor), tel. +32 2 650 50 78

31/05/2006

ESPON Transnational Project Group on Urban Functions

research

Urban Policy > Urban environment

Land use