ABSTRACT
The Frankfurt Rhein-Main region is located in the heart of Germany and is economically central to both the nation and the European Monetary Union. It is one of Germany's most globally connected and internationally visible regions. However, perhaps surprisingly to outsiders, the cities and inhabitants of the region scarcely see themselves in such coherent terms. Of all of Germany's statistical Europaeische Metropolregionen (EMR), it is the agglomeration that is most difficult to define, characterized as it is by little internal cohesion and a weak regional identity (Blatter, 2005; Hoyler et al., 2006). This legacy of fragmentation stems from a combination of the current institutional structure with the unique geographical and historical configuration of the region and the strong local identities that this created, which have consistently undermined the development of civic capital. Given its significantly divided past, it is not unusual that the region developed as atomistically as it did. What is striking, however, is that as economic, political, logistical, and social forces have increasingly provided incentives for the region to grow together, these attitudes have not been overcome as quickly, and intermunicipal cooperation has remained relatively weak.
