Navigating urban complexity: Area delimitation in transport policy and statistical modelling

This book explores the critical role of urban area delimitation in shaping transportation policy, focusing on its impact on the accuracy of econometric models in polycentric regions. As cities face increasing challenges like suburbanization and spatial complexity, this research sheds light on the often-overlooked process of delimitation. Using the Metropolis GZM as a case study, it offers insights for urban planners, policymakers, and transportation specialists, blending interdisciplinary research with practical findings to highlight how delimitation can influence the future of urban development and transportation strategies.

Introduction 5 1. City as a research area 7 1.1. City allocation in the discipline of economics 7 1.2. Urban areas in a network and systemic perspective 15 1.3. Two-dimensional model of urban areas in spatial terms 31 1.4. Statistical models in urban planning 36 2. Delimitation as a tool for transport policy 43 2.1. Suburbanization and its significance in urban centers’ transportation policy 43 2.2. The significance of delimitation in transport policy 56 2.3. Area delimitation in transport plans of the largest Polish urban areas 65 3. Area delimitation as a determinant of statistical models compatibility in polycentric-dispersed agglomerations: A study of public collective transport in Metropolis GZM 71 3.1. Methodology and data 71 3.2. Results 77 3.3. Praxeology as an alternative to quantitative models 83 Conclusions 85 Literature 89 List of figures 105 List of tables 106 Annex – input data 107