German Metropolitan Regions Research Articles

Correction: Yan, S.; Growe, A. Regional Planning, Land-Use Management, and Governance in German Metropolitan Regions—The Case of Rhine–Neckar Metropolitan Region. Land 2022, 11, 2088

In the original publication [...]

Can spatial patterns mitigate the urban heat island effect? Evidence from German metropolitan regions

This study examines the efficacy of urban spatial patterns at alleviating the urban heat island (UHI) effect in Germany’s city regions ( Großstadtregionen) using multivariate and non-parametric regression methods. Urban spatial patterns are quantified using five landscape metrics that capture the spatial arrangement of urban footprints and greenspaces, along with a polycentricity index that measures the distribution of human activities. The results indicate that certain features of urban fabric, including fragmentation, mixed land use, and regular-shaped urban patches, have the potential to mitigate the UHI effect. Moreover, dispersing multiple smaller greenspaces throughout the urban area demonstrates a greater cooling effect compared to having a single large and more aggregated park. In addition, our analysis reveals that a doubling (100%) of the polycentricity degree corresponds to a significant decrease in both day- and night-time UHI effects, with reductions of 10.4% and 24.6%, respectively. This study confirms that polycentric development yields greater benefits in reducing urban heat for large-sized city regions compared to medium- and small-sized ones; and its effectiveness is mostly pronounced near urban center(s). These findings suggest that polycentric development represents an efficient and feasible strategy for urban thermal planning of large-sized city regions, surpassing other commonly discussed urban configurations, such as compact or dispersed urban development.

Transition from Child and Adolescent to Adult Psychiatry in a German Metropolitan Region: An Explorative Cross-Sectional Study

In psychiatry, the transition phase presents a particular challenge. The study aims to investigate gaps in care during the transition to adult psychiatry. After a qualitative preliminary study, 100 patients with previous child and adolescent psychiatric treatment were interviewed in a standardised way about the utilisation behaviour, the need for help and the experience during, before and after the transition phase. The data were analysed descriptively and using interval estimation (probability of coverage). A treatment gap of more than 3 months was documented in 75% of the patients*. The study showed that treatment interruption was experienced as a risk for further crises and that there was often a lack of information on further treatment options. The transition from child and adolescent to adult psychiatric treatment is not seamless and requires professional support.

Migration and wage inequality: a detailed analysis for German metropolitan and non-metropolitan regions

This study presents new evidence on immigrant-native wage gaps considering regional-specific differences between 2000 and 2019 in Germany. Using linked employer-employee-data, unconditional quantile regression models are estimated in order to assess the degree of labor market integration of foreign workers. The applied extended version of the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition method provides evidence on driving factors behind wage gaps along the entire wage distribution. Estimated results are presented not only for the whole of West Germany but also differentiated between metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. On average, larger wage differentials are identified in metropolitan areas with at the same time a higher presence of foreign population. Detailed decompositions show that there are not only changes in the relative importance of explanatory factors over time, but also possible sources of wage differentials shift between different points of the wage distribution. Decisive explanatory variables in this context are the practised profession and the economic sector affiliation. Distinguishing between metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas, provides evidence that especially differences in educational attainment impact wage gaps in urban areas. Regarding the size of overall estimated wage gaps, after 2012 a reversal in trend and particular increasing tendencies around median wages are revealed.

Regional Planning, Land-Use Management, and Governance in German Metropolitan Regions—The Case of Rhine–Neckar Metropolitan Region

German cities and their hinterlands have a long tradition of cooperation; however, there remains considerable challenges when developing integrated governance models, especially in those metropolitan regions that cross state-boundaries. The Rhine–Neckar Metropolitan Region (MRN), with its unique location of a tri-state intersection, explored ways out of the governing dilemma and has pioneered cooperative federalism in Germany. To determine how the cross-jurisdictional cooperation is organized and realized in the MRN, and how well this model has worked in terms of regional planning, attributing land resources, and the reality of long-term governance, a series of interviews with involved officials and planners and MAXQDA software were employed to decode the transcribed text content. A second-hand qualitative database, including, but not limited to, meeting memos, protocols, and published works were added to examine our findings. The results indicated that diversified actors, a combined instrument, multiple collaborative contents, and the networked joint decision-making structure have strengthened the governance of the MRN. However, their public association-centered structure raised concerns in terms of inadequate participation of private agents and an excessive pursuit of regional balance as well. Ultimately, this paper discusses the inefficiency challenges facing the MRN and further reflects on the need for, and impacts of, high-level government participation in constituting a regional identity.

Regionales Flächenmanagement in den deutschen Metropolregionen

Metropolitan regions result from spatial rescaling processes and region formations and are considered as “soft spaces of governance”, referring to international debates on the “new regionalism”. This paper addresses the criticism that the focus on competitive metropolitan regions distracts from the need for action on classic spatial planning issues. For this, the paper examines and discusses the institutional integration of regional planning in the German metropolitan regions and the activities of regional growth management as well as the regulatory intensity of regional plans based on a group comparison of metropolitan regions. As a result, the thesis of an institutionally fragmented regulatory growth management by regional planning can only be confirmed for a few metropolitan regions, where no relevant institutions and instruments are implemented in the core area. Regarding the “soft” instruments of growth management, the situation is very different. Here, the action potential is not yet fully utilized, even in metropolitan regions with strong institutional cores

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in Adults - Results from a Diagnostic Outpatient Clinic

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are quite common and, due to the risk of psychiatric comorbidities, highly relevant until adulthood. Diagnostic clarification in adulthood is a prerequisite for targeted treatment and needs-based support. In a German metropolitan region, 80 people with suspicion of FASD were assessed from May 2015 to July 2020. The results of this interdisciplinary diagnostic assessment were systematically evaluated and the clinical characteristics of the persons with or without FASD were analysed. Approximately 70% of the population accessing relevant health care was diagnosed with an entity from the FAS spectrum. People with FASD were more likely to have learning disabilities (50 vs. 33%) or intellectual disabilities (40 vs. 10%), while there were no group differences for age and gender. Psychiatric comorbidities, particularly depression (39%) and addiction disorders (31%), were common in both groups. As part of a multi-professional standardized diagnosis, FASD clarification is also possible and necessary in adulthood. The diagnostic criteria for FASD should be further evaluated and specified for adults.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic\u2019s first wave on the care and treatment situation of intravitreal injections in a German metropolitan region

PurposeThis study aims to evaluate the impact of the first coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) wave in 2020 on patients scheduled for intravitreal injections (IVI) in a German metropolitan region.MethodsWe performed a multicentre prospective survey and retrospective analysis of the records of patients treated with intravitreal injections during the 20-week period from March to July 2020 in all four hospital eye departments in the city of Hamburg using a questionnaire (on treatment adherence, SarsCoV2-related personal, familial and social data) and treatment data.ResultsA total of 1038 patients (2472 IVI, 1231 eyes) and 818 questionnaires were evaluated. Longer duration of therapy, lower visual acuity (VA) of the treated and higher VA of the fellow untreated eye was were associated with a higher probability of visit cancellation. Every additional year of life posed a 2.6% lower risk of noncompliance. A COVID-19 infection in the family environment displayed a 5.5-fold chance of visit cancellation. Patients treated for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) had a 36% reduced risk of visit cancellation compared to patients with diabetic macular oedema (DME).ConclusionA long preceding treatment period, low VA of the treated eye, high VA of the untreated eye, COVID-19 in the family and DME were identified as risk factors for IVI visit cancellations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Compliance to treatment might be improved in the future by taking these risk factors into account when scheduling patients for IVI during the exceptional circumstances of a pandemic.

Potentials and perspectives of food self-sufficiency in urban areas—a case study from Leipzig

AbstractRegionalization of food systems is a potential strategy to support environmental, economic and social sustainability. However, local preconditions need to be considered to assess the feasibility of such a transformation process. To better understand the potentials and perspectives of food self-sufficiency in urban and peri-urban areas, we determined the food self-sufficiency level (SSL) of a German metropolitan region, i.e., the percentage of the food demand that could be potentially provided on existing agricultural land. Main input parameters were actual food demand, agricultural productivity and its temporal variability and land availability. Furthermore, we considered changes in diet, food losses and land management. Based on current diets and agricultural productivity, the administrative region of Leipzig achieved a mean SSL of 94%, ranging from 77 to 116%. Additionally, an area of 26,932 ha, representing 12% of the regionally available agricultural land, was needed for commodities that are not cultivated regionally. Changes in food demand due to a diet shift to a more plant-based diet and reduced food losses would increase the SSL by 29 and 17%, respectively. A shift to organic agriculture would decrease the SSL by 34% due to lower crop yields compared with conventional production. However, a combination of organic agriculture with less food loss and a more plant-based diet would lead to a mean SSL of 95% (75–115%). Our results indicate the feasibility of food system regionalization in the study area under current and potential near future conditions. Addressing a combination of multiple dimensions, for example plant-based and healthier diets combined with reduced food loss and organic farming, is the most favorable approach to increase food self-sufficiency in urban and peri-urban areas and simultaneously provide synergies with social and environmental objectives.

Does the monocentric model work in a polycentric urban system? An examination of German metropolitan regions

In explaining the determinants of urban spatial structure, researchers have relied on the traditional monocentric ‘Alonso-Mills-Muth’ model. This article contributes to this discussion by testing the viability of the monocentric model when applied to metropolitan areas in Germany, a country traditionally associated with a polycentric urban structure, regional differences and urban shrinkage. We estimate the model with a unique dataset covering 92 metropolitan areas over two time periods (2000 and 2014), which allows estimation in both a cross-sectional and a panel framework. Using spatial and panel regression techniques, we test whether the underlying determinants of urbanisation vary according to factors unique to the German context, including the roles of historical geography, regional polycentricism and urban shrinkage. We found that, similar to the US studies, the model performed reasonably well, particularly with the overall fit and the performance of the population variable, which was significant and positively related to urbanised area. Personal income and land prices showed mixed results, and the coefficients for transportation costs proved to be challenging. We also found that regional geography matters: a region in eastern Germany is smaller than one in the west. A proxy variable for regional polycentricity was not significant. Finally, we found that the model’s behaviour differs between growing and shrinking regions, most notably in the differing impacts that population change has on the change in urbanised area.

Screening for ADHD-Related Symptoms in Preschoolers Should Be Considered-Results From a Representative Sample of 5-Year-Olds From a German Metropolitan Region.

Background: Early assessment and intervention are crucial to alleviate symptoms and prevent long-term negative outcomes in children suffering from Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In Germany, at present, no standardized screening for ADHD is routinely administered. This study aims to evaluate a potential screening measure in a study population that is representative for a primary school entrance exam population in a German metropolitan region.Methods: Based on various socio-demographic variables, a sample of n = 500 5-year-old children (58% boys, 42% girls), representative of a primary school entrance exam population from a German metropolitan region, was selected. Their parents completed a written survey consisting of the CBCL and a brief screening tool for ADHD symptomatology based on the DISYPS-II questionnaire. Demographic data were also collected.Results: The subscale “Attention problems” of the CBCL/4-18 showed results in the clinical range for n = 10 (2%) participants. The ADHD screening identified n = 23 (4.6%) participants as suspect of having ADHD with a statistically significant gender difference (n = 17 boys vs. n = 6 girls, p = 0.03). In n = 5 (1%) participants, all boys, both CBCL/4-18 and the ADHD screening were indicative of ADHD.Conclusions: Results indicate that screening for ADHD in this population may be both feasible and reasonable given the high prevalence and chronic nature of this disorder and the benefit of an early initiation of treatment. Results match previously reported figures for prevalence of ADHD-related symptoms and gender differences in preschool and older pediatric populations and thus do not support the hypothesis that the prevalence of ADHD in a metropolitan region is significantly higher than in other regions.

Molecular Epidemiology of the HIV Epidemic in Three German Metropolitan Regions \u2013 Cologne/Bonn, Munich and Hannover, 1999\u20132016

Using HIV sequence data to characterize clusters of HIV transmission may provide insight into the epidemic. Phylogenetic and network analyses were performed to infer putative relationships between HIV-1 partial pol sequences from 2,774 individuals receiving care in three German regions between 1999–2016. The regions have in common that they host some of the largest annual festivals in Europe (Carnival and Oktoberfest). Putative links with sequences (n = 150,396) from the Los Alamos HIV Sequence database were evaluated. A total of 595/2,774 (21.4%) sequences linked with at least one other sequence, forming 184 transmission clusters. Clustering individuals were significantly more likely to be younger, male, and report sex with men as their main risk factor (p < 0.001 each). Most clusters (77.2%) consisted exclusively of men; 41 (28.9%) of these included men reporting sex with women. Thirty-two clusters (17.4%) contained sequences from more than one region; clustering men were significantly more likely to be in a position bridging regional HIV epidemics than clustering women (p = 0.027). We found 236 clusters linking 547 sequences from our sample with sequences from the Los Alamos database (n = 1407; 31% from other German centres). These results highlight the pitfalls of focusing HIV prevention efforts on specific risk groups or specific locales.

Individual choice or collective action? Exploring consumer motives for participating in alternative food networks

AbstractAlternative food networks (AFNs) are growing in number and relevance in Germany. Those networks include new models of production and distribution, such as food cooperatives (FoodCoops), self‐harvest gardens or community‐supported agriculture (CSA) schemes. AFNs, as an alternative to conventional food supply systems, are characterized by a close producer‐consumer interaction. They are typically located within urban or peri‐urban areas. The study aims to identify the rationale and motivation of urban residents in participating in AFNs and developing a consumer typology. We also assess whether AFNs potentially lead to collective action with societal impact. Therefore, we conducted a qualitative content analysis based on 18 interviews with members of existing AFN projects in three German metropolitan regions. Our results revealed that the willingness of urban consumers to participate in AFNs is driven by a broad range of motives. They include personal desire for high‐quality food (in terms of taste or freshness) and health reasons, but also political or environmental motives (opposition to conventional agriculture or short transport distances). Furthermore, consumers often want to support a certain farmer and his/her philosophy or they appreciate the community‐building aspect. Three different consumer types were derived from the motive combinations. Many consumers communicated a sense of belonging to a societal movement, however, our study revealed a lack of organization and collective action. Although AFNs can influence the consumption patterns of individuals, their potential to induce social change and to challenge traditional models of consumption in the near future does not appear to be high.

Re-Scaling of Metropolitan Governance in Germany

Germany lacks a systematic nation-wide approach for the governance of metropolitan regions. We observe a considerable variety of institutional solutions for the governance of metropolitan affairs. In particular since the 1990s many initiatives have blossomed at different scales giving different weight to economic development, infrastructure planning, spatial planning or waste management. Therefore, the German federal state can be seen as a laboratory for metropolitan governance with a few outstanding cases and some less successful ones. However, the current situation calls for more effective metropolitan governance in most of the German metropolitan regions. The article gives an historical overview, describes recent trends and illustrates four cases in more detail. The emergence of multi-scaled arrangements where different forms of governance function on different spatial scales seems to be the most recent pattern in Germany. The outlook remains unclear.

Urban cultural landscapes in the information age

The objective of this research is to generate new knowledge to estimate the potential benefit of digital media within communication for sustainable development of urban cultural landscapes. This dissertation project is being conducted in cooperation with the University of Bonn. It will investigate the way regional parks in Germany communicate the importance of urban cultural landscape in German metropolitan regions by using digital media and how it could be done better in future. The empirical investigation will be carried out in an interdisciplinary working process with the combination of theory and practice. It is focused on three parts of the research, to better identify the current situation of using digital media, its potentials for development and finally, with the help of examples, to show its advantages and opportunities. The results of this work will provide a solid basis for building advanced communication, which promotes the public involvement and information, the citizen participation for urban development, the appreciation for the urban cultural landscapes and for contributing to the field of environmental communication and awareness-raising on urban environmental issues.

Is the ‘Central German Metropolitan Region’ spatially integrated? An empirical assessment of commuting relations

The ‘Central German Metropolitan Region’ is a network of cities and their surroundings, located in the three East-German states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. It was founded to bring the bundled strengths of these cities into an inter-municipal cooperation, for making use of the possible advantages of a polycentric region. As theory claims, a precondition for gains from polycentricity is spatial integration of the region. In particular, markets for high skilled labour should be integrated. To assess how this precondition is fulfilled in Central Germany, in the framework of a doubly constrained gravity model the commuting relations between the functional regions of the (until 2013) 11 core cities of the network are analysed. In particular for higher educated employees, the results display that commuting relations are determined not only by distance, but also by the state borders that cross the area.

Are experiences of sexual violence related to special needs in patients with substance use disorders? A study in opioid-dependent patients

A history of sexual violence has been related to more complex treatment needs in patients with substance use disorders (SUD). Most of the existing studies, however, included patients with various types of SUD, did not examine gender differences and focused on a small range of clinical domains. Our sample consisted of opioid-dependent outpatients treated during a three-year period in a German metropolitan region. The analysis was based on a local case register and included all patients for whom information on lifetime sexual violence was available (N=3531; 68.3% males). In a case–control design, patients with a history of sexual violence were compared to patients without these experiences regarding a wide range of clinical and social factors indicative of potential needs. Almost two thirds (65.6%) of the female patients and 10.9% of the males reported experiences of sexual violence. Victims differed from non-victims across a variety of domains, including more psychiatric symptoms and suicide attempts, more legal problems, financial and family problems, as well as a higher use of services. In contrast to a previous study among alcohol-dependent patients, no gender differences became apparent. Our findings suggest that experiences of sexual violence are an indicator for more complex needs in opioid-dependent patients of both genders. In addition to integrated trauma-informed approaches, an effort needs to be made to link addiction facilities to further institutions to meet these complex needs.

Comparison of Urban and Suburban Rail Transport in Germany and in the Czech Republic

Abstract Rail transport is an environmentally friendly form of passenger transport which can be utilized effectively also in urban and suburban transport systems. The paper describes the urban and suburban rail transport system including comparison of selected Czech (Prague, Brno and Ostrava) and German metropolitan regions (Munich, Nuremberg and Dresden). Its aim is to analyze the importance of various factors influencing the differences between the situation in Germany and in the Czech Republic. Therefore, the research question is whether these differences are primarily caused by a different liberalization stage, or whether they are a result of other factors such as available infrastructure, investment level, rail transport services budget, structure and activity of ordering bodies and coordinators or geographical context. The supply of city and suburban rail transport is quite good in Germany and in the Czech Republic, although trains in Munich, Nuremberg and Dresden run more frequently, faster and are better interconnected with car transport. German rail transport sector is at a higher stage of liberalization, and tendering procedures are the preferred selection method for contractor carriers. However, a degree of liberalization of the railway sector is not the key marker indicating a better standard of urban and suburban rail transport in Germany because it is the high standard which is achieved as the consequence of the professional activity of the ordering bodies and train service coordinators in combination with geographical conditions, available financial sources and effective transport infrastructure. On the other hand, the importance of liberalization cannot be totally overlooked as tenders are a tool for the ordering bodies to strongly affect the price and quality of transport services in their area. The supply of better quality and attractive transport to passengers could increase the usage of rail transport in metropolitan regions and could have indirect but important socio-economic impacts

Democratic metropolitan governance: experiences in five German metropolitan regions

The paper seeks to describe whether reflections about the legitimacy metropolitan governance arrangements found consideration in metropolitan reforms in five German metropolitan regions. Metropolitan regions are an increasingly relevant scale for political decision-making but mechanism for legitimacy and accountability did not keep pace. Given the fact that in most metropolitan institutions only indirect mechanisms of legitimacy such as regional assemblies with representatives from municipal councils or public–private governing boards are at work, one may expect that output legitimacy or legitimacy by performance is the dominant source for legitimacy in metropolitan governance. In fact, citizens care much about the quality and the prize of services such as waste management or public transport but less about the transparency of decision-making procedures behind these services – at least on the scale of the region. The results show a mixed picture. In two out of five regions, directly elected regional assembly have been established and now constitute genuine tiers of metropolitan politics where input and output legitimacy are combined. In other regions, the turn to flexible forms of governance opened up decision-making arenas for societal actors, but it seems that this opening of the policy process is very selective and comes at the expense of citizen participation.

Dural ectasia in Loeys–Dietz syndrome: comprehensive study of 30 patients with a TGFBR1 or TGFBR2 mutation

The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency, severity, and clinical associations of dural ectasia (DE) in Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS). Database analysis of three German metropolitan regions identified 30 patients with LDS and TGFBR1 mutation in 6 and a TGFBR2 mutation in 24 individuals (17 men; mean age: 31 ± 19 years), as well as 60 age and sex-matched control patients with Marfan syndrome carrying a FBN1 mutation. DE was present in 22 patients with LDS (73%), and it related to skeletal score points (p = 0.008), non-skeletal score points (p < 0.001), and to the presence of ≥7 systemic score points (p = 0.010). Similarly, the severity of DE was related to body height (p = 0.010) and non-skeletal score points (p = 0.004). Frequency (p = 0.131) and severity of DE (p = 0.567) was similar in LDS and Marfan syndrome. DE is a manifestation of LDS that occurs with similar frequency and severity as in Marfan syndrome. Severity of DE may serve as a marker of the overall connective tissue disease severity. LDS may be considered in patients with DE.