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Re-urbanizing the European City: A Multivariate Analysis of Population Dynamics During Expansion and Recession Times

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Abstract

After a long phase of suburbanization promoting economic decentralization and uneven expansion of urban rings, re-urbanization has been observed in an increasing number of European cities. However, a comprehensive analysis of demographic dynamics underlying spatial patterns—and factors—of re-urbanization is still lacking for the European continent. This study contributes to fill this knowledge gap by proposing a comparative analysis of population dynamics at two spatial scales (‘inner cities’ and ‘large urban zones’) in 129 European metropolitan regions under economic expansion (2000–2007) and recession (2008–2014). Non-parametric correlations, principal component analysis, and stepwise multiple regressions were used to identify different spatial patterns of population growth at continental and regional scale in Europe. The number of cities studied that showed a trend towards re-urbanization increased from 36 in 2000–2007 to 47% in 2008–2014. Positive rates of population growth in inner cities were found to be associated with high levels of disposable per capita income at the metropolitan scale. During recession, spatial differences in population growth rates were suggestive of a moderate rearrangement towards re-urbanization in northern and central Europe and less polarized metropolitan regions, with declining population in inner cities of southern and eastern Europe. Based on peculiar demographic dynamics found in the study area, the analysis performed brings useful insights to the debate about the future development of European cities.

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Correspondence to Luca Salvati.

Appendix 1: List of Metropolitan Regions Considered in this Study

Appendix 1: List of Metropolitan Regions Considered in this Study

Metropolitan region

Country code

Urban audit code

Metropolitan region

Country code

Urban audit code

Pleven

Bulgaria

BG005L

Bologna

Italy

IT009L

Bern

Switzerland

CH004L

Cagliari

 

IT027L

Geneva

 

CH002L

Milano

 

IT002L

Lausanne

 

CH005L

Roma

 

IT001L

Lefkosia

Cyprus

CY001L

Trieste

 

IT015L

Ceske Budejovice

Czech Republic

CZ008L

Kaunas

Lithuania

LT002L

Hradec Kralove

 

CZ009L

Panevezys

 

LT003L

Jihlava

 

CZ014L

Vilnius

 

LT001L

Karlovy Vary

 

CZ013L

Luxembourg

Luxembourg

LU001L

Liberec

 

CZ007L

Liepaja

Latvia

LV002L

Olomouc

 

CZ006L

Valletta

Malta

MT001L

Ostrava

 

CZ003L

Bergen

Norway

NO002L

Plzen

 

CZ004L

Kristiansand

 

NO005L

Praha

 

CZ001L

Oslo

 

NO001L

Usti nad Labem

 

CZ005L

Stavanger

 

NO004L

Augsburg

Germany

DE033L

Tromso

 

NO006L

Berlin

 

DE001L

Trondheim

 

NO003L

Bielefeld

 

DE017L

Braga

Portugal

PT003L

Bonn

 

DE034L

Faro

 

PT009L

Bremen

 

DE012L

Lisbon

 

PT001L

Darmstadt

 

DE025L

Ponta Delgada

 

PT007L

Dresden

 

DE009L

Alba Iulia

Romania

RO014L

Dusseldorf

 

DE011L

Arad

 

RO008L

Erfurt

 

DE032L

Bacau

 

RO007L

Frankfurt (Oder)

 

DE029L

Braila

 

RO005L

Frankfurt am Main

 

DE005L

Bucharest

 

RO001L

Freiburg im Breisgau

 

DE027L

Calarasi

 

RO012L

Gottingen

 

DE021L

Cluj-Napoca

 

RO002L

Halle an der Saale

 

DE018L

Craiova

 

RO004L

Hamburg

 

DE002L

Giurgiu

 

RO013L

Hannover

 

DE013L

Oradea

 

RO006L

Karlsruhe

 

DE035L

Piatra Neamt

 

RO011L

Kiel

 

DE039L

Sibiu

 

RO009L

Koblenz

 

DE042L

Targu Mures

 

RO010L

Koln

 

DE004L

Timisoara

 

RO003L

Leipzig

 

DE008L

Goteborg

Sweden

SE002L

Magdeburg

 

DE019L

Jonkoping

 

SE004L

Mainz

 

DE037L

Linkoping

 

SE007L

Monchengladbach

 

DE036L

Malmo

 

SE003L

Munich

 

DE003L

Orebro

 

SE008L

Nurnberg

 

DE014L

Stockholm

 

SE001L

Regensburg

 

DE028L

Umea

 

SE005L

Saarbrucken

 

DE040L

Uppsala

 

SE006L

Schwerin

 

DE031L

Ljubljana

Slovenia

SI001L

Stuttgart

 

DE007L

Maribor

 

SI002L

Trier

 

DE026L

Banska Bystrica

Slovakia

SK003L

Weimar

 

DE030L

Bratislava

 

SK001L

Wiesbaden

 

DE020L

Kosice

 

SK002L

Wuppertal

 

DE016L

Nitra

 

SK004L

Aalborg

Denmark

DK004L

Presov

 

SK005L

Arhus

 

DK002L

Trencin

 

SK008L

Odense

 

DK003L

Trnava

 

SK007L

Tallinn

Estonia

EE001L

Zilina

 

SK006L

Tartu

 

EE002L

Aberdeen

UK

UK016L

Barcelona

Spain

ES002L

Belfast

 

UK012L

Madrid

 

ES001L

Cambridge

 

UK017L

Oulu

Finland

FI004L

Cardiff

 

UK009L

Paris

France

FR001L

Edinburgh

 

UK007L

Athens

Greece

GR001L

Glasgow

 

UK004L

Ioannina

 

GR007L

Kingston-upon-Hull

 

UK026L

Irakleio

 

GR004L

Leicester

 

UK014L

Kalamata

 

GR009L

Nottingham

 

UK029L

Kavala

 

GR008L

Portsmouth

 

UK023L

Thessaloniki

 

GR002L

Stoke-on-Trent

 

UK027L

Volos

 

GR006L

   

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Salvati, L., Serra, P., Bencardino, M. et al. Re-urbanizing the European City: A Multivariate Analysis of Population Dynamics During Expansion and Recession Times. Eur J Population 35, 1–28 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10680-017-9462-0

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