Second Rank Cities in Europe

In periods of economic downtown, it is second-rank cities which outperform first-rate cities, recording annual GDP growth rates which are much less negative than those of their capitals. In explaining this phenomenon, linking urban dynamics to agglomeration theories seems the most interesting approach. This volume claims that interpretation of current dynamics in European urban systems would benefit from exploiting the traditional concept of agglomeration economies, expanding it to investigate the missing link between agglomeration economies and urban dynamics. This book was originally published as a special issue of European Planning Studies.