Defining Functional Polycentricity From a Geographical Perspective

Despite the prevalence of polycentricity as a normative strategy in planning documents, a lengthy and inconclusive debate regarding its definition in academic research persists. The aim of this article is to eliminate the conceptual confusion surrounding functional polycentricity from a geographical perspective. By classifying different approaches to polycentricity, we outline the properties that characterize all forms of functional polycentricity. Accordingly, we redefine functional polycentricity and propose a corresponding framework with which to measure it. The commuting and leisure functional polycentricity of Atlanta is used as an example to illustrate the application of this framework.