This document summarizes a research paper that evaluates alternative patterns of urban growth beyond the concept of an optimal city size. It begins by introducing the original research and outlines the presentation, which defines key terms and evaluates different theories on determining urban size. The theories discussed include traditional approaches focusing on indivisibilities, costs and facilities, as well as unconventional approaches considering urban functions, networks and form. The evaluation system examines the size elasticity of a city's effect and overload under various circumstances.

1. Beyond Optimal City Size
An Evaluation of Alternative Urban Growth Patterns
Gobardhan Banskota
Nepal Engineering College
Centre for Postgraduate Studies(nec-CPS)
MSc in Transportation Engineering and
Management
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2. Presentation Outline
 Introduction:
 Definition:
 Abstract:
 Evaluation System:
 Conclusion:
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3. Introduction
 Research by Roberta Capello and Roberto Camagni
 Paper first received, January 1999; final form,
August 1999
 Size of optimal city: one single size or infinite sizes
 The model is applied to 58 Italian cities.
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4. Abstract
 The aim of the paper is to present a critical view of
theoretical works on city size.
 Begins with the consideration that, during the 1960s and
1970s, the question of optimal city size tended to be
expressed in a misleading way.
 The real issue is not ‘optimal city size’ but ‘efficient size’
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5. Abstract contd…
 depends on the functional characteristics of the city and on
the spatial organisation within the urban
 will vary from city to city, from society to society
 to identify the main theories which replace the limits of the
neoclassical approach
*neoclassical=focusing on the determination of prices, outputs, and income distributions in markets through
supply and demand
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6. Major issues
 The debate on ‘optimal’ city size: one single size or infinite
sizes?
> Since the 1960s, urban economists and geographers focused on the
problem of the optimal city size
> The optimal condition for the entire population of the system, urban
and not urban, is reached when urban marginal costs equal marginal
benefits (to size increase).
*
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7. The determinants of urban size
1. Traditional approaches
2. Unconventional approaches
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8. 1.Traditional approaches
 Indivisibilities and productivity
 Environmental costs and social conflicts
 Collection of facilitates for social interaction
 Urban diversity as source of creativity
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9. 2. Unconventional approaches
 Urban functions and urban ranks
 City networks
 Urban form and laying
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10. Things to remember
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11. Purpose/function
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14. Evaluation
 Rational formula is widely used to evaluate The
Measurement of the City Effect and the Urban Overload
 The results have regard to the size elasticity of the city effect
and the urban overload, calculated in three circumstances:
I. for different levels of urban size;
II. for different types of function;
III. for different levels of network integration.
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