Competition within the European Urban System

Abstract

The diminishing importance of national frontiers in western Europe has intensified competition between cities for mobile investment, for the location of public institutions and for hallmark events. This has led to the creation of league tables of cities in which rankings are determined by single or multiple variables. Analyses of changes in rankings focus on whether there has been divergence or convergence amongst European cities. This paper uses data on 117 cities to suggest that there was convergence in 1981-84, followed by divergence in 1984-87. The paper goes on to test three hypotheses which relate urban economic growth to size or capital status, to location within the core or periphery, and location within northern or southern Europe. Overall it finds that capital cities grow more quickly, in economic terms; that the urban south is catching up with the urban north; and that, whilst the cities of the core did best before 1985, there is some evidence that 'crowding out' has relatively helped the cities of the periphery since 1985.