Abstract
This chapter provides a bridge between the first and the second parts of our book. It defends the utility of the monocentric paradigm which has been the subject of growing criticism in recent years, and it provides background to support the need for a robust polycentric city model. We explore the relationship between the exponential density function [EDF] and the monocentric city model, and we examine to what extent a failure of the EDF invalidates the monocentric paradigm itself. We explain why a negative correlation between the density gradient and city size does not imply a failure of the monocentric paradigm—not even a failure of the EDF. We also discuss the declining rôle of the CBD, reasons why such decline does not invalidate the monocentric city model and specific ways in which this paradigm helps, and will continue to help, understanding important urban phenomena. We conclude that the monocentric paradigm is far from obsolete, and we expect that it will provide the stepping stone for the construction of a robust polycentric city model.
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Papageorgiou, Y.Y., Pines, D. (1999). From Monocentricity to Polycentricity. In: An Essay on Urban Economic Theory. Advances in Urban and Regional Economics, vol 1. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4947-5_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4947-5_8
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