Metropolis or region: on the development and structure of London

"Drawing on a disparate range of sources and viewing the question from several perspectives, an attempt is made to trace the development of London over the period since 1800. An account of the physical expansion and population growth is outlined, with ¿London' defined at a number of distinct scales. Attention is first focused on London as a metropolis, and various modelling techniques are used to illustrate the nature of metropolitan expansion. Consideration is given to the possibility that the changing spatial distribution of population through migration may be likened to a well-known process in physics. This is followed by an analysis of London at the broader scale of a region, with similar modelling techniques being employed. Finally, the question is raised as to whether London can still be meaningfully viewed as a metropolitan entity or whether a regional perspective is now more appropriate." (SUMMARY IN FRE AND GER)