ERSA European Regional Science Association Soihtu
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ERSA 2003 Congress

Abstracts

The abstract for paper number 172:

Silvia Golem, Faculty of Economics, University of Split, Split, Croatia
Peripheries and Centres - Models of Integration (Theory of Spatial Geometry)

This paper deals with the problem of urban growth in the coastal area. It analyses past trends on one hand, and discusses future spatial development of the coastal region, on the other.

Spatial and town planning organisation were usually based on the principles of nodal-functional regionalisation, i.e., on the certain needs and interests of central settlement and its surruonding area (zone of gravitation). Within such a framework; the smaller was the distance between centre and its surrounding area, the stronger were the links between them.

However, the rational of modern spatial and town planning paradigm is founded on the theory of spatial geometry, especially from the point of view of spatial planning and organisation of land of both centre (town) and its surrounding area.

Thus, the process of integration should be understood as process of metropolitanisation. It implies the growth of the centre that exceeds its tight boundaries and spreads across new teritory (surrounding area). Nevertheless, that process does not imply megalopolisation, but creation of entirelly new spatial urban form that strives to preserve the traditional values of life in surruonding area, as well as to achieve high urban standard of living in it. It encompasses the centre and the parts of its surrounding area within which the centre still exercises some of its functions (services). As a cosequence, there are regular and frequent flows of people, goods, services and information all across the area. Metropolitanisation is, therefore, a process of development of both centre and its surrounding area.

To conclude, the paper considers metropolitanisation as a process of mutal and common development of urban centre and its surruonding area. Beeing scientificaly based, such alternative aproach eventually results in new type of urban structure. In a new type of urban structure, there is a unique whole where morphology of both urban centre and its surrounding area has not been signficantlly changed.

That aproach will be explained in detail on the case of metropolitain area of the town of split.

Unfortunately full paper has not been submitted.

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