Defining and Measuring Metropolitan Regions

Freeman, Alan (2007): Defining and Measuring Metropolitan Regions. Published in: Greater London Authority Working Paper 1 , Vol. 1, (1 June 2007)

Abstract

This note assesses the range of options considered by GLA Economics for defining a geographic boundary for London that will permit robust comparisons with other cities for economic purposes.

Based on the GEMACA method of defining a Functional Urban Area, it concludes that the best estimate of the population of London using mid-year and LFS-based estimates from 2005 and 2006 respectively, based on a core density of 1813 per square mile, using NUTS4 regions and a commute intensity of 10%, is 12,660,000 and of the workforce, 6,304,000, corresponding to a geographical extent of 4,104 square miles.

The paper was originally published, and should be cited, as Freeman, A. 2007. Defining and Measuring Metropolitan Regions. GLA current issues note 17. London: GLA.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: City; global city; Functional Urban Region; Larger Urban Zone; Territorial Indicators; Metropolitan Region; pluralism
• Subjects: H - Public Economics > H7 - State and Local Government ; Intergovernmental Relations > H70 - General; R - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics > R0 - General; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J0 - General

References

Department of the Environment and Government Office for London 1996, Four World Cities: a Comparative Study of London, Paris, New York and Tokyo, London, Llewelyn-Davies

Freeman, A. 2004. ‘Measuring and comparing World Cities’, GLA Economics Working Paper 1, May 2004. [https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/secure/18103/1/MPRA_paper_18103.pdf]

Freeman, A. and Paul Cheshire. 2006. Defining and Measuring Metropolitan Regions: a rationale. [http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/52714/1/MPRA_paper_52714.pdf]

Hall, P. 1966, The World Cities, New York, McGraw-Hill

LPAC 1991, London: World City Moving into the 21st Century, London, HMSO

Parkinson, M., M. Hutchings, J. Simmie, G. Clark and H. Verdonk 2004, Competitive European Cities: Where do the Core Cities Stand? A report to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, London, ODPM

The NUTS classification system. Eurostat. http://europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat/ramon/nuts/home_regions_en.html.