How effective are regions in determining urban spatial patterns? Evidence from Germany

Abstract

ABSTRACTDespite a highly organized and institutionalized planning framework, regions in Germany are widely considered the most variable and experimental layer of planning and vary quite extensively in terms of their organizational composition, strategic purpose, and administrative competencies. This research examines the role of German regional-level planning in explaining urban spatial structure and urban development patterns. Our unit of analysis consists of the 114 planning regions in Germany. We model change in urban structure and density over 2 time periods as a product of a number of demographic, geographic, political-economic, and policy variables. We utilize data from the CORINE land cover data set for the years 2006 and 2012. In addition, we use the Raumordnungsplan-Monitor (ROPLAMO) data set from the Federal Office for Building and Regional Research, a unique data set that allows us to rank regions based on the relative restrictiveness of their growth management policies. We find that regions are not particularly effective in explaining urbanization rates. Instead, the central place system, a planning framework that guides land use decisions, and whether or not a region is located in the east are the most significant factors in explaining urban spatial structure.