Polynucleation and economic development: The Randstad

In a generalized form two kinds of systems of cities exist in Europe: those with a strongly dominating city, and those with a polynucleated structure. The Netherlands show the latter type. It is common in economic geography to connect economic performance with agglomeration advantages and a concomitant spatial concentration of the strongest functions. For the Netherlands a continuing spatial dispersal of population and economic activities from the largest towards smaller cities and the Green Heart has been observed; this gives reason to support the hypothesis that agglomeration economies cannot be seen as a main condition for national economic growth. However, a further investigation might show that the highest levels of economic and cultural functions need larger agglomerations, which could lead to a loss of certain functions to global cities like London.