Governing polycentric urban regions

Abstract

Widely recognized as an empirical reality, an important analytical framework and a normative goal for territorial development policies, polycentric urban regions (PURs) are the subject of concerted international interest among those charged with planning and governing cities and regions. And yet, why does so much research on cities and regions not really engage with the PUR concept? With the aim of renewing debates surrounding the governance of PURs and the polycentric model of spatial development, we reveal a significant body of hidden research before proceeding to identify dimensions of a future PURS+ research agenda which has critical governance questions at its centre.