ABSTRACT
A ‘periphery’ represents a boundary, the edge of a defined space, or the outer-limits of an area (Hall, Harrison, Weaver and Wall, 2013), but an area’s peripherality can be perceived in different ways. For example, it can refer to a place that is geographically located a long distance from a capital city, other centres or core population; or it can be a long way from a spatial concentration of wealth or power. A region can also be described as peripheral, if geographically distant from main gateways or arrival points. Alternatively, peripherality can refer to people’s subjective perceptions of a place as peripheral. For instance, a destination with excellent motorway or rail links may be more accessible to a centre than closer destinations without such links. Journey time and cost, frequency of service and the necessity for interchange between services are all potentially important measures of accessibility and subsequently can influence perceptions of peripherality. However, it is reasonable to accept that “no matter how the region’s peripherality is assessed, it will invariably involve the very real fact that the location is relatively difficult to get to” (Nash and Martin, 2003, p. 163).
