Großraum

Großraum is a German-language term used in urban planning to describe a large urban region centered on a city, whose surrounding municipalities are closely integrated through economic, social and infrastructural ties. It is a functional concept rather than an officially defined administrative boundary, and its extent can vary by context.

A Großraum typically includes the core city and neighboring towns that form a dense, interconnected labor market, housing market, and transportation network. The area is marked by strong commuting flows, shared services, and interdependent economic activity.

In planning discourse, Großraum is related to, but distinct from, terms such as Ballungsraum (dense urban area), Metropolregion (metropolitan region), and Großregion. The boundaries are often informal and may overlap with official regions depending on data and policy goals.

Examples commonly cited in German-language contexts include the Ruhrgebiet (Rhine-Ruhr Großraum), the Rhein-Main area around Frankfurt, and the greater Vienna region (Wiener Großraum) in Austria. In practice, the labels can refer to different scales and administrative arrangements.

The concept helps planners address urban challenges—such as housing supply, transport capacity, environmental impact, and economic development—across a functional region that surpasses municipal borders yet remains locally anchored.