Productivity, Infrastructure and Urban Density—An Allometric Comparison of Three European City Regions Across Scales

Abstract

SummaryAgglomeration-based arguments citing Dutch and German city regions have been a primary driver in advocating intercity transport strategies in the north of England. We adopt an allometric urban model investigating the applicability and transferability of these transport-led agglomerative strategies promoted to address England’s regional economic underperformance. This is undertaken through a comparative study of the size–cost performance balance of three city regions and the overall urban networks in the Netherlands and Germany, and England and Wales by using city units defined at different spatial scales. Although our results support a case for better mobility and transport comparing the three urban networks regardless of the spatial scales, comparisons of specific city regions indicate a more nuanced interplay of productivity, mobility infrastructure and urban density.