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I'm not entirely convinced either way. Look at the Ruhr region. Like all German cities the cities in the Ruhr region have their own identities which the locals

by pluma 11y ago

I'm not entirely convinced either way. Look at the Ruhr region. Like all German cities the cities in the Ruhr region have their own identities which the locals are very attached to and their own differences and rivalries. But to outsiders moving in it's all one contiguous region and this is exactly the direction politics is taking the region (with things like the Ruhr University which has merged the various local universities into a single distributed entity). I don't see Cologne swallowing Bonn or even Leverkusen anytime soon (or in Leverkusen's case: swallowing it again) but given enough time (and in comparison with the total age of the cities even a hundred years isn't much) it might happen eventually. That said, I'm a Cologne native who recently moved into a small city in Westphalia and am still amazed how many major companies have their headquarters in the region despite having theoretically outgrown their home towns. As far as I can tell, Germany seems to define itself in terms of regions as you say. Whether those regions will eventually grow into megacities or merely "polycentric urban areas" (as Wikipedia describes the Ruhr region) is ultimately philosophical.

lispm 11y ago
> Whether those regions will eventually grow into megacities or merely "polycentric urban areas" (as Wikipedia describes the Ruhr region) is ultimately philosophical. I think defining regions around cities vs. regions around an area (Franken, Ostfriesland, etc.) makes some difference. In one concept the big city is the central point of orientation/development/... It's not necessarily political the center, but where the money, the development, the modernity and the culture is located. The other concept of the 'region' distributes power/wealth/culture/infrastructure across the region more even, with some respect for the different strengths of the enclosed areas.
fit2rule 11y ago
I lived in the Ruhr for a while, and I have to say that I think that it is quite easily overlooked, but nevertheless true: the Ruhr is a mega-city. What once were unique enclaves and villages and small towns are mere pit-stops across a vast concrete jungle, which has - admittedly - quite some green spaces between it, but is nevertheless well-navigated by its citizens. It is nothing to go for a night out from Bochum to Mannheim-Ruhr, or live in Dusseldorf but work in Cologne .. the rail - and general design of German civilization itself - allows for a much, much bigger scale of things - in this region - than might be generally accepted. I think of the Ruhr region as a mega-city-one (Judge Dredd) kind of thing, anyway ..
vidarh 11y ago
Cities merging does not need to mean identities merging, or getting a single city centre anyway. I live in London suburb. I rarely go to central London. It's close for when I want the amenities there, but it's just one centre amongst dozens in London. Heck, my own borough, which is one of 30 in London, has at least half a dozen town centres with their own distinct identities. I've not even visited all of them. I doubt that will change even with mega-cities. What is considered "low density" regions between the centres will just change. E.g. if you drive through London, it's not like you'll suddenly see farm land (unless you try to - there is some) in between the town centres - it is continuous urban/suburban - but you notice when you come to a new town centre, by the increased density of shops, offices and non-residential side streets. The distinction is quite noticeable even in the inner core boroughs where the "non-town centre" areas may be residential high rises or large town houses instead of small terraced houses, but still noticeable different from the commercial and cultural centres.

by pluma 11y ago

lispm 11y ago

> Whether those regions will eventually grow into megacities or merely "polycentric urban areas" (as Wikipedia describes the Ruhr region) is ultimately philosophical. I think defining regions around cities vs. regions around an area (Franken, Ostfriesland, etc.) makes some difference. In one concept the big city is the central point of orientation/development/... It's not necessarily political the center, but where the money, the development, the modernity and the culture is located. The other concept of the 'region' distributes power/wealth/culture/infrastructure across the region more even, with some respect for the different strengths of the enclosed areas.

fit2rule 11y ago

I lived in the Ruhr for a while, and I have to say that I think that it is quite easily overlooked, but nevertheless true: the Ruhr is a mega-city. What once were unique enclaves and villages and small towns are mere pit-stops across a vast concrete jungle, which has - admittedly - quite some green spaces between it, but is nevertheless well-navigated by its citizens. It is nothing to go for a night out from Bochum to Mannheim-Ruhr, or live in Dusseldorf but work in Cologne .. the rail - and general design of German civilization itself - allows for a much, much bigger scale of things - in this region - than might be generally accepted. I think of the Ruhr region as a mega-city-one (Judge Dredd) kind of thing, anyway ..

vidarh 11y ago

Cities merging does not need to mean identities merging, or getting a single city centre anyway. I live in London suburb. I rarely go to central London. It's close for when I want the amenities there, but it's just one centre amongst dozens in London. Heck, my own borough, which is one of 30 in London, has at least half a dozen town centres with their own distinct identities. I've not even visited all of them. I doubt that will change even with mega-cities. What is considered "low density" regions between the centres will just change. E.g. if you drive through London, it's not like you'll suddenly see farm land (unless you try to - there is some) in between the town centres - it is continuous urban/suburban - but you notice when you come to a new town centre, by the increased density of shops, offices and non-residential side streets. The distinction is quite noticeable even in the inner core boroughs where the "non-town centre" areas may be residential high rises or large town houses instead of small terraced houses, but still noticeable different from the commercial and cultural centres.