ABSTRACT

At the national level, cities are part of a complex system of interrelated urban places, and are key elements in the economic, social and political organisation of regions and nations. The interdependence among towns and cities makes it important to view a country as a system of urban places rather than as a series of independent settlements. The concept of an urban system refers to a set of towns and cities that are linked together in such a way that any major change in the population, economic vitality, employment or service provision of one will have repercussions for other places1 (Box 6.1). In this chapter we examine urban functions and the differing types of urban places within a national territory, and review the main theories to describe and explain the development of national urban systems.