Defining ‘centres’ in analyses of polycentric urban regions: the case of the Yangtze River Delta

The analysis of ‘polycentric urban regions’ (PURs) crucially depends on the operational definition of their constituent centres. We extend an insight into this issue by exploring how analyses of the level of intra- and inter-city polycentricity in the Yangtze River Delta, China, are contingent upon the identification and territorial delineation of its centres. The results help to specify more clearly PUR measurement procedures, and provide further evidence for the conceptual, analytical and empirical importance of consistent city definitions for regional studies in general and for research into urban and regional China in particular.