Labels of regional integration: The case of naming in polycentric urban regions

Abstract A main challenge in the planning and management of polycentric urban regions (PUR) is achieving functional coherence between their main centers. In this study, we approach the region’s name as an implicit indicator of such integration and examine the factors that shape the naming of PURs. Analyzing 312 PURs worldwide, we explore the relationships between naming – expansion, merger, new name – and a range of settlement-urbanization, geographical, socio-demographic, and economic variables. Our findings demonstrate that regions within each naming category exhibit their own unique set of characteristics. We argue that this differentiation reflects different governance arrangements, cooperation mechanisms, and development aspirations, making the name a potential tool in the hands of regional authorities to help shape the coherence of PURs.