Agglomerationer

Agglomerationer is a term used in urban geography and regional economics to refer to urban agglomerations—regions where populations and economic activities are concentrated in a relatively small geographic area. In many languages, the word denotes metropolitan clusters or city regions that function as cohesive economic units.

The concept rests on agglomeration economies, which describe benefits that firms and workers obtain when located near one another. First formalized by Alfred Marshall in the late 19th century, these effects include labor market pooling, knowledge spillovers, shared suppliers and infrastructure, and specialized services. Agglomerations can be characterized by two main channels: localization economies (industry-specific clustering) and urbanization economies (diverse activities within a city).

Measurement of agglomerationer typically uses population size and density, metropolitan or metropolitan-area boundaries, and indicators such as location quotients, GDP, and employment concentration. Internationally, metrics align with country definitions of metropolitan regions, urban agglomerations, or core-based statistical areas.

Impacts of agglomerationer are mixed. They often boost productivity, innovation, and wage levels through intensified interactions and resource sharing. At the same time, they can amplify congestion, housing shortages, environmental pressures, and inequality if growth outpaces infrastructure and housing supply.

Policy approaches to manage agglomerationer emphasize transport and housing development, land-use planning, and investments in education, digital infrastructure, and innovation ecosystems. The aim is to sustain the positive effects of clustering while mitigating negative externalities, by aligning urban form with economic strategy and residents’ needs.

Examples of large agglomerations include major metropolitan regions worldwide, where dense networks of firms, universities, and public services interact to drive regional growth.