Thematic plenary session
Delineating urban territories: is this a relevant issue?
In Europe, through history, towns and cities have spread by aggregation with new territories on the previous fringes. As far as the 19th century it was still relatively simple and unequivocal to map out their boundaries. However, from the end of the 19th century, the combined effects of the industrial revolution and rural exodus brought fundamental and lasting changes in the scene. Towns and cities, which were experiencing unprecedented demographic increase as well as the development of more and more efficient means of transport, spread out within a very short space of time. As they encroached increasingly on surrounding areas, the sprawling cities “diluted” their boundaries, both physical and symbolic.
In Europe today any consideration of cities and urban systems, and beyond that of territorial development, comes up against the issue of urban boundaries. The definitions of the city, the urban area, and of the statistical systems that underpin these notions, vary from one country to another, and harmonisation is a challenge. The main obstacle is however elsewhere. In a context of general spread, the way in which to define the boundaries of urban areas now comes up against the conceptualisation per se of the city.
The aim of this session is to debate on the relevance of and the justification for mapping out town and city boundaries, both in general, and for Europe in particular.
Conférence : Sir Peter Hall, United-Kingdom - "Delineating Urban Territories".
Chair person: Pierre Cornut, Belgium
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