ABSTRACT
The development of a metropolitan region, which is also a national capital region and has a technology base supported in part by government policy funding is outlined. The link between government technology policy spending, research and development, infrastructure development and growth of a range of private sector, innovative, high technology industries and services is considered. The low density, decentralised, multi-nodal metropolitan region is moving quickly from an American to a wider pattern of urban organisation. Despite resistance from city and regional planners and extremely powerful state and provincial regulation, the pattern continues to proliferate, particularly in developed economies. The emergence of the new urban regions raises a number of important policy questions. Many of these focus on the changing role of actors such as the nation state, the state/province, local government and business and community organisations in the economic development process.
