Introduction: Deconcentration of economic activities within metropolitan regions: A qualitative framework for cross-national comparison

The chapter outlines a comparative framework for the study of employment deconcentration within metropolitan areas, aiming to explain processes and forms of deconcentration and the impact of different governance systems. It introduces processes of deconcentration, followed by a discussion of the two extremes of the spectrum among developed economies: the United States and Western Europe. Governance systems, assumed to be major explanatory factors of deconcentration, are defined by various combinations of welfare state regimes and central government-local government relationships. A classification of market determinants is followed by a classification of types of employment deconcentration, linking these types with governance systems. Also mentioned is the broader context that includes residential sprawl, quality-of-life outcomes and particular policy packages.