ABSTRACT
To what extent there really are metropoles in Germany could well be debated (Blotevogel 2000). There exists, however, a resolution of the German Conference of Planning Ministers1 (Ministerkonferenz für Raumordnung) of 1997 (MKRO 1997) according to which there are seven metropolitan regions to be developed which constitute the backbone of Germany’s regional structure: Berlin/ Brandenburg, Hamburg, Munich, Rhein-Main (Frankfurt), Rhein-Ruhr (Ruhr Valley), Stuttgart and Halle/Leipzig/Dresden/Chemnitz (Saxonian Triangle). But that definition is a political one intended to draw political attention to those regions with the aim of thus boosting their development within a global competitive context. The term ‘metropolitan regions’ as used in the present context refers to major urban areas, which would include Hanover and Bremen as well. It does not imply the ‘global city’ concept nor does it refer to any particular problems which are exclusively bound to large conurbations.
