The Role of the Transportation in the Development of a Polycentric Urban Network

Abstract

This study defines polycentric urban network as densely settled but not agglomerated urban settlements, having strong mutual links (horizontal co-operations) between them; while there are no hierarchical relations between these centres but the basis of their relation is rather a kind of specialisation. The success of the development of a polycentric urban network is not measured by the development of single settlements, but rather qualifying what the structure able to offer to the whole region (centres included). Multilateral relation networks that offer the possibility of choices are able to maintain the polycentric structure for a region assuring the conditions of adaptation to changes, and of multilateral co-operation, characteristically differently from the monocentric hierarchical structures. The polycentric network makes also possible alternative, redundant relations relative to the minimal linkages and this is seemingly abundant relative to the hierarchical networks that are optimalised to effectively fulfill predetermined tasks. But it is important to understand, that the aim of a polycentric urban network is not to provide a most effective hierarchical service model, but rather the effective use of internal resources, the promotion of an endogen development and the adaptation to changing circumstances are those aims that need the multilateral links between the settlements of a region. Our longstanding infrastructures has to face with future circumstances we are not able to foresee now, and what is more, which circumstances will keep on be changed. Through the growing importance of the ability of adaptivity the good pattern and strength of internal regional linkage system itself becomes a resource, a competitiveness factor. The task is not simply to adjust the transport to the visioned future of a polycentric urban network, but to solve the common meta-level of the planning: namely the formation of a sustainable, equitable, and long term competitive region.