Policentrism and space structure: a critical review from the perspective of research programs

Abstract

In 2050 75% of the population will be concentrated in urban areas which will grow in size and complexity, evolving into increasingly polycentric structures and scattered, causing obsolence in the current model of thinking the city. Despite the growing importance of polycentrism, in Spain is still a phenomenon shortly studied and poorly understood. Before moving forward with its study, it is necessary to proceed with a critical review of polycentrism that serves as a starting point. This article proposes this critical review from the perspective of research programs. The review reveals that the issues related to the effects of polycentrism are in the outer belt of the theory, that there is little research on them, and that the existing produces conflicting results.