Polycentrism: Boon or Barrier to Metropolitan Competitiveness? The Case of the Randstad Holland

Abstract

This article reports on the ways Dutch planners try to come to terms with some of the more problematic aspects related to the polycentric make-up of the Randstad. As such, it aims to provide some counterweight to the sometimes overly enthusiastic belief among policy-makers that polycentricity or polycentric spatial development offers a solution to a wide array of urban and regional problems. In addition, the article draws attention to the fact that in order better to understand both the potential value of the concepts and the problems and challenges experienced in polycentric urban regions on the ground, it helps to take into account the variety of (morphological) origins out of which polycentric urban configurations can emerge.