ABSTRACT
The concept of the European polycentric urban system is a vague and ambiguous one. It is defined as something that is contrary to the mono-centric urban system. It also means something contrary to dispersed and scattered settlement. This chapter deals with settlement patterns as elements of settlement systems, it discusses the major problems that emerge when studying and trying to provide a definition of the European polycentric (urban) system. Small-sized countries and countries and regions outside the 'Pentagon' area, which includes the majority of South East Europe, experience important difficulties in meeting the strategic goals on the one hand and, on the other, with complying with their own guidelines for achieving polycentric development. One of the most crucial problems underlying the studies of the European urban system lies in the different levels and scales of observation.
