Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Institution
-
- Portland State University (2178)
- University of Colorado Law School (261)
- Cleveland State University (169)
- Texas Southern University (150)
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas (95)
-
- City University of New York (CUNY) (71)
- Wayne State University (71)
- Universitas Indonesia (63)
- San Jose State University (60)
- Singapore Management University (53)
- Claremont Colleges (49)
- Georgia State University College of Law (46)
- Western Kentucky University (37)
- University of Dar es Salaam (32)
- SIT Graduate Institute/SIT Study Abroad (28)
- University of Massachusetts Boston (28)
- Clark University (27)
- Virginia Commonwealth University (26)
- University of Nebraska - Lincoln (25)
- Old Dominion University (23)
- LSU New Orleans (22)
- University of Southern Maine (20)
- Technological University Dublin (19)
- The University of San Francisco (19)
- University of South Florida (19)
- California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (18)
- West Virginia University (16)
- Syracuse University (15)
- University of New Mexico (15)
- University of Louisville (14)
- Keyword
-
- Portland (Or.) -- Politics and government -- Periodicals (549)
- Urban policy -- Oregon -- Portland -- Periodicals (549)
- Portland (Or.) -- Social conditions -- Periodicals (547)
- City planning -- Oregon -- Portland (383)
- City planners -- Oregon -- Portland (259)
-
- Economic development (168)
- Center for Economic Development (124)
- Transportation -- Planning (106)
- Colorado (83)
- Climate change (77)
- Economic analysis of cities and regions (70)
- Front Street (Portland Or.) (65)
- Housing (59)
- Neighborhood planning -- Oregon -- Portland (59)
- Water (59)
- Transportation (55)
- California (54)
- West (53)
- Neighborhood planning (49)
- Sustainability (49)
- Ecology of innovation (48)
- Urban transportation (48)
- New Mexico (45)
- Nevada (43)
- Urban planning (41)
- Planning (40)
- Water quality (39)
- Arizona (38)
- Entrepreneurship (38)
- Wyoming (38)
- Publication Year
- Publication
-
- City Club of Portland (602)
- Ernie Bonner Collection (315)
- PSU Transportation Seminars (204)
- TREC Final Reports (165)
- All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications (158)
-
- Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects (155)
- Center for Urban Studies Publications and Reports (116)
- Journal of Public Management & Social Policy (111)
- Portland City Archives (101)
- Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations (92)
- TREC Project Briefs (60)
- Jurnal Kebijakan Ekonomi (50)
- TREC Webinar Series (44)
- Metro Collection (40)
- Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy (39)
- Ralph Bunche Journal of Public Affairs (36)
- Working Group on Interlocal Services Cooperation (36)
- Metroscape (35)
- Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Research Publications (34)
- Dissertations and Theses (31)
- Northwest Economic Research Center Publications and Reports (31)
- Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies (31)
- Community-Owned Forests: Possibilities, Experiences, and Lessons Learned (June 16-19) (30)
- Mineta Transportation Institute (30)
- Research Collection College of Integrative Studies (29)
- Portland Regional Planning History (28)
- Publications and Research (28)
- The Future of Natural Resources Law and Policy (Summer Conference, June 6-8) (28)
- EnviroLab Asia (27)
- Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection (23)
- Publication Type
- File Type
Articles 2281 - 2310 of 4125
Full-Text Articles in Urban Studies and Planning
Northeast Ohio Economic Brief, John F. Brennan
Northeast Ohio Economic Brief, John F. Brennan
All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications
No abstract provided.
Does A Mayor Make A Difference In A City’S Economic Performance? The Case Of Akron, Ohio, Edward W. Hill
Does A Mayor Make A Difference In A City’S Economic Performance? The Case Of Akron, Ohio, Edward W. Hill
All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications
Can a mayor make a difference in a city’s long-term economic performance? Mayors have been observed making a difference in case studies and in press accounts but it is nearly impossible to link the economic performance of a particular city to the actions of a specific mayor. Terms are frequently too short and cause and effect cannot be disentangled. The term of Akron’s Mayor Donald Plusquellic offers an opportunity to make the connection. The mayor’s length of service is long, data are available, and comparable cities and metropolitan areas exist to act as informal controls for other structural explanations for …
Population Forecast For Lane County, Its Cities And Unincorporated Area 2008-2035, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Risa S. Proehl, George C. Hough Jr., Danan Ru, Kenneth Radin, Mark Gilbert
Population Forecast For Lane County, Its Cities And Unincorporated Area 2008-2035, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Risa S. Proehl, George C. Hough Jr., Danan Ru, Kenneth Radin, Mark Gilbert
Oregon Population Estimates and Reports
This report presents the results of a study conducted by the Population Research Center (PRC) to address the long-range planning needs of Lane County and produce population forecasts at the county and sub-county level. This report considers recent and historical demographic changes experienced within the County and provides forecasts from 2008 to 2035 in 5-year intervals. Expected future populations that result from the most-likely demographic trends throughout Lane County are presented in this report.
Jumpstart Inc.: Economic Impact On And Contribution To Northeast Ohio, 2008, Ziona Austrian, Afia Yamoah
Jumpstart Inc.: Economic Impact On And Contribution To Northeast Ohio, 2008, Ziona Austrian, Afia Yamoah
All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications
This report was prepared for JumpStart, Inc. by the Center for Economic Development at Cleveland State University. The report summarizes the economic impact in 2008 resulting from JumpStart investment in start-up companies in Northeast Ohio and its services to assist other entrepreneurs through JumpStart Ventures, JumpStart TechLift Advisors, JumpStart Inclusion Advisors, and IdeaCrossing.
Financial Intermediaries For Community And Economic Development In Ohio: Market Assessment, Ziona Austrian, Brian A. Mikelbank, Afia Yamoah, Charles Post, Candice Clouse, David O. Kasdan
Financial Intermediaries For Community And Economic Development In Ohio: Market Assessment, Ziona Austrian, Brian A. Mikelbank, Afia Yamoah, Charles Post, Candice Clouse, David O. Kasdan
All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications
This report describes the results of an in-depth market assessment study conducted for the Finance Fund by the Center for Economic Development and the Center for Housing Research and Policy at Cleveland State University’s Levin College of Urban Affairs. The Finance Fund, located in Columbus, Ohio, is a statewide nonprofit financial intermediary. It finds funding and provides resources to support organizations that assist low- and moderate-income families and communities.1 The Finance Fund works primarily within low-income rural and urban communities throughout the state of Ohio by connecting local community development organizations and small businesses with needed funding in the form …
Improving Travel Information Products Via Robust Estimation Techniques, David Maier, Kristin A. Tufte, Rafael J. Fernández Moctezuma
Improving Travel Information Products Via Robust Estimation Techniques, David Maier, Kristin A. Tufte, Rafael J. Fernández Moctezuma
TREC Final Reports
Traffic-monitoring systems, such as those using loop detectors, are prone to coverage gaps, arising from sensor noise, processing errors and transmission problems. Such gaps adversely affect the accuracy of Advanced Traveler Information Systems. This project will explore models based on historical data that can provide estimates to fill such gaps. We build on an initial study by Mr. Rafael J. Fernandez-Moctezuma, using both a linear model and an artificial neural network (ANN) trained on historical data to estimate values for reporting gaps. These initial models were 80% and 89% accurate, respectively, in estimating the correct speed range, and misclassifications were …
Economic Impacts Of The Proposed Maine Power Reliability Project, Charles S. Colgan
Economic Impacts Of The Proposed Maine Power Reliability Project, Charles S. Colgan
Economic Impact Analysis
Central Maine Power Company (CMP) proposes to invest in a significant upgrade to much of its high voltage transmission system in central and southern Maine in order to increase reliability in the future and to meet Federal standards for the nation’s electricity grid. The project, known as the Maine Power Reliability Program (MPRP) is expected to cost an estimated $1.5 billion and to be implemented over the four year period from 2009 to 2012.
Large construction projects such as MPRP typically have a different type of impact on the economy than, for example, a new manufacturing plant. Construction and related …
Northeast Ohio High-Tech Economy Report, Iryna Lendel, Ziona Austrian
Northeast Ohio High-Tech Economy Report, Iryna Lendel, Ziona Austrian
All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications
This study is an update of two previous reports commissioned by the Northeast Ohio technology Coalition (NorTech) that examined the high-tech sector in Northeast Ohio (NEO). It focuses on two time periods: 2004-2007, the last recovery period, and 2006-2007, the latest one-year change. Four major perspectives are reflected in this year’s analysis: (1) changes in overall NEO high-tech trends in comparison to the Midwest and the United States, (2) analysis of technology groups within the high-tech sector, (3) detailed analysis of bioscience in Northeast Ohio using the industry definition adopted by BioOhio, and (4) track of the NEO research and …
Factors Affecting Behavioral Changes In Response To Road Fees: Some Analyses Of The Effect Of Attitudes, Transit Access, And Fuel Efficiency On Changes In Miles Driven, Anthony M. Rufolo
Factors Affecting Behavioral Changes In Response To Road Fees: Some Analyses Of The Effect Of Attitudes, Transit Access, And Fuel Efficiency On Changes In Miles Driven, Anthony M. Rufolo
TREC Final Reports
Objective The Oregon Department of Transportation conducted a test of an innovative technology to replace fuel taxes with mileage fees. In the test, some vehicles were charged a flat fee per mile and others were charged differential fees that were higher for travel in the Portland metropolitan area during weekday peak hours and lower for other travel. I was charged with developing the database for the project and analyzing the behavioral responses of the participants. The database is quite extensive, including responses to three surveys as well as information on mileage in various categories. The experiment ended on April 1, …
Choices In Regional Governance Structures: Special Districts As Collaboration Mechanisms, Jayce L. Farmer
Choices In Regional Governance Structures: Special Districts As Collaboration Mechanisms, Jayce L. Farmer
Working Group on Interlocal Services Cooperation
This paper uses contextual explanations of regional governance to explore how the limitations to voluntary regionalism can lead to the more centralized, more regulated method of using regional special districts. An ICA perspective is used to discuss the range of choices in institutional arrangements available to jurisdictions. Motivations that jurisdictions may have to use more versus less autonomous methods of ICA are outlined to frame how regional districts fall within this spectrum. A rational choice perspective is also employed to identify the collective and selective benefits that motivate local actors to cooperate, as well as identify the potential transaction cost …
Bridging The Partisan Divide: A City Club Report On Reducing Excessive Partisanship In The Oregon Political System, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.)
Bridging The Partisan Divide: A City Club Report On Reducing Excessive Partisanship In The Oregon Political System, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.)
City Club of Portland
No abstract provided.
Montgomery County And Cities Of Dayton And Kettering Analysis Of Impediments To Fair Housing, Center For Urban And Public Affairs, Wright State University
Montgomery County And Cities Of Dayton And Kettering Analysis Of Impediments To Fair Housing, Center For Urban And Public Affairs, Wright State University
Community Development
The Montgomery County and Cities of Dayton and Kettering Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing (AI) is a review of barriers to fair housing in the public and private sector that restricts housing choices or the availability of housing choices based on a person’s membership in a protected class. Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act) prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings to the protected classes, which include: race, familial status, disability, sex, religion, or National origin.
The 1988 amendments to the Fair Housing Act also created an exemption to the …
Sustainable Food Systems: Perspectives On Transportation Policy, Kameshwari Pothukuchi, Richard Wallace
Sustainable Food Systems: Perspectives On Transportation Policy, Kameshwari Pothukuchi, Richard Wallace
Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Research Publications
Global agri-food and transportation systems have dramatically expanded food production and distribution worldwide. This integration, however, also adversely affects human health. The negative effects arise from unequal access to healthy food, unequal access to transportation for agri-food workers, increasing geospatial and economic concentration in the agri-food industry, and an emerging competition between food and fuel. Because the health of individuals is inextricably tied to the health of communities, regions, and ecological systems, health and transportation professionals need to act to both mitigate current disparities and enhance the future viability and sustainability of these systems. This paper offers numerous, specific recommendations …
Macarthur Park Master Plan, Community Design Center
Macarthur Park Master Plan, Community Design Center
Community Design Center Project Reports
Like waterfronts and transit stops, parks leverage value in urban areas. While much recent attention has been given to the signature mega-park, the value of the small-scale neighborhood park in reinventing the city has been overlooked. Once connecting neighborhoods of differing character, and sponsoring more than 80 residential structures along its edges, the historic MacArthur Park at the edge of downtown Little Rock is radically underutilized as an urban neighborhood asset. Severed from its neighborhoods along two edges by interstate construction in the 1960s, this moribund 40-acre municipal park is left with only 16 residential structures along its frontage. The …
Ecolopolis 4.0: Livability In Cascadia, Portland State University
Ecolopolis 4.0: Livability In Cascadia, Portland State University
Regional Planning and Metropolitan Growth Management Research Projects
This is a working document and is the forth report in this series. This document examines the implications for Cascadia of the new federal livability partnership between the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Transportation. This new interest in the role that Federal agencies can and should play in furthering goals for livability and smart growth presents Cascadia and other megaregions an opportunity to articulate their own livability agendas in anticipation of new initiatives emanating from Washington, DC.
This version, 4.0, has been produced by the Fall 2009 class and is edited …
Ua30/1/2 Planning, Design & Construction Building File, Wku Archives
Ua30/1/2 Planning, Design & Construction Building File, Wku Archives
WKU Archives Collection Inventories
Records created during the construction and renovation of buildings at WKU.
Responding To Foreclosures In Cuyahoga County: Program Year Three Evaluation Report, March 1, 2008 Through February 28, 2009, Kathryn W. Hexter, Molly Schnoke
Responding To Foreclosures In Cuyahoga County: Program Year Three Evaluation Report, March 1, 2008 Through February 28, 2009, Kathryn W. Hexter, Molly Schnoke
All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications
Cuyahoga County, Ohio is at the epicenter of the foreclosure crisis. With close to 13,000 foreclosure filings a year since 2005, more than 10,000 vacant and derelict structures and thousands of homeowners losing their homes, the effects of the crisis will be long lasting and far reaching. In Ohio, County courts, agencies and departments have some level of authority and responsibility for virtually every step of the foreclosure process. So it is not surprising that the fifteen mayors of the First Suburbs Consortium2 turned to Cuyahoga County to help them address this crisis. In response, in August 2005, the Cuyahoga …
Clinton Street Max Visioning, Greg Barlow, Allen David, Hannah Dondy-Kaplan, Tammi Hawkins, Emily Rice, Kellen Smith, Ethan Berleman, Alicia Castro, Kathleen Critchlow, Brett Luttrell, Michael Noonchester
Clinton Street Max Visioning, Greg Barlow, Allen David, Hannah Dondy-Kaplan, Tammi Hawkins, Emily Rice, Kellen Smith, Ethan Berleman, Alicia Castro, Kathleen Critchlow, Brett Luttrell, Michael Noonchester
Urban Design Workshop
This report documents the initial analysis and visioning process performed in the area surrounding the Clinton Street Station, which is nestled between Hosford-Abernethy and Brooklyn neighborhoods and the Central Eastside Industrial District.
This project focuses on the future of the Clinton Street Station and how its development will impact the surrounding area over the next 50 years. This task involved acknowledging and balancing the current needs of the various stakeholders. The purpose of this report is to act as a tool for the Hosford-Abernethy Neighborhood Association (HAND) to more adequately understand the opportunities and constraints that the future station area …
Sustainability Efforts At South Dakota State University, Joshua A. Schuttloffel
Sustainability Efforts At South Dakota State University, Joshua A. Schuttloffel
The Journal of Undergraduate Research
South Dakota State University wants to develop a sustainable environment. However, the University has, thus far, refused to make a formal commitment to sustainability. This paper examines how the ecology, communication networks, politic decisions, and issue networks of the University have influenced the University administration to have a goal towards sustainability yet refuse formal commitments to improving the sustainability of the University. Interviews with individuals intimately involved with issues of sustainability at the University are used to present a case study of events from the time sustainability became a goal of University to current. Public administration theory is used to …
No Vacancy, Rebecca Dann, Beth Somerfield, Emily Rice, Briana Meier
No Vacancy, Rebecca Dann, Beth Somerfield, Emily Rice, Briana Meier
Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects
Vacant lots and buildings, whether in stages of redevelopment or decline, are spaces in flux. Left unused, these empty spaces can pose difficult challenges for their owners and surrounding neighborhoods; however, the uncertain futures of vacant sites also present unique opportunities for a variety of temporary uses. In partnership with the Central Eastside Industrial Council, LocusLab is exploring the potential to enliven the Central Eastside Industrial District by activating vacant spaces with temporary activities and developments. We've worked to: uncover potential benefits of temporary use; find ways to overcome barriers faced by temporary projects; initiate a conversation between property owners, …
Cully Main Street: A Plan For Community-Serving Improvements, Daniel Costantino, Lani Edghill, Mary-Rain O'Meara, Jason Wallace
Cully Main Street: A Plan For Community-Serving Improvements, Daniel Costantino, Lani Edghill, Mary-Rain O'Meara, Jason Wallace
Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects
The Cully Main Street is defined by Metro's Region 2040 Plan and includes parts of NE Cully Blvd and NE Killingsworth St. Our mission is to provide the Cully community with a plan to encourage the location of more and better neighborhood businesses and services within a short distance of their homes and in a walkable and bikeable environment. Our approach is grounded in the belief that economic development at the local level should benefit the current community, by maintaining and promoting neighborhood livability and safety improvements. The major product of this project will be a set of zoning, infrastructure, …
Washington Park Access & Circulation Plan, Ray Delahanty, Cathy Cibor, Mallory Atkinson, Brendon Haggerty, Talia Jacobson, David Amiton
Washington Park Access & Circulation Plan, Ray Delahanty, Cathy Cibor, Mallory Atkinson, Brendon Haggerty, Talia Jacobson, David Amiton
Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects
Portland's Washington Park is home to many of the region's most popular educational, recreational, and tourist attractions. As demand for these attractions continues to grow, the quality of transportation services offered at the park increasingly contribute - in ways both positive and negative - to the quality of the overall user experience. Recognizing the interplay between transportation and user experience, New Leaf Planning has worked closely with its client, the newly formed Washington Park Alliance, to identify transportation challenges and opportunities for improvement within Washington Park. This partnership will culminate in a Washington Park Access & Circulation Plan, which will …
Foodability, Kim Armstrong, April Chastain, Stephanie Vanrheen, Steve White, Elizabeth Chapin, Julia Person
Foodability, Kim Armstrong, April Chastain, Stephanie Vanrheen, Steve White, Elizabeth Chapin, Julia Person
Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects
The Portland Plan will consider current physical and socioeconomic conditions and trends and help establish shared visions, goals, and policies to guide the efforts of BPS and other city agencies over the next 20 years. BPS is interested in addressing food access issues in the Portland Plan, but does not have a defined, stakeholder-supported vision for food access. The Foodabilty project is developing a vision, goals, and strategy recommendations for food access in Portland that can be used to ground and direct future actions by the City and other organizations. It is supported by a set of maps displaying the …
Humboldt Community Action Plan, Sara Bedinghaus, Nikolai Ursin, Morgan Masterman, Mark Gilbert, Lizzy Warren
Humboldt Community Action Plan, Sara Bedinghaus, Nikolai Ursin, Morgan Masterman, Mark Gilbert, Lizzy Warren
Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects
Mosaic is working to develop an action plan that will enable the community to better address their concerns. The Humboldt neighborhood is one of the most diverse and rapidly changing areas in the Portland area, constantly challenging the neighborhood association's efforts to reach a diverse, representative population of residents. Through concerted outreach, interviews, and workshops Mosaic Planning has identified a series of goals the neighborhood hopes to one day realize. By thoroughly researching methods to achieve these goals, the group will provide a series of action items to the community, which can be implemented by residents. This plan will help …
Neighborhood Climate Action Planning Handbook, Hannah Dondy-Kaplan, Erica Timm, Beth Cohen, Dyami Valentine, Mariah Vanzerr, Devin Moller
Neighborhood Climate Action Planning Handbook, Hannah Dondy-Kaplan, Erica Timm, Beth Cohen, Dyami Valentine, Mariah Vanzerr, Devin Moller
Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects
The City of Portland and Multnomah County are developing new plans and policies to meet greenhouse gas reduction goals of 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. To meet these new steep reduction targets, actions will be needed at every level of society. While neighborhoods have historically received little attention as a means of addressing climate change, they are ideally suited to bring people together to bridge the gap between individual actions and higher level government policies. To help neighborhoods develop strategies and actions to address climate change, C-Change Consultants worked with the Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition to create a Neighborhood …
Weaving Color Lines: Race, Ethnicity, And The Work Of Leadership In Social Change Organizations, Sonia Ospina, Celina Su
Weaving Color Lines: Race, Ethnicity, And The Work Of Leadership In Social Change Organizations, Sonia Ospina, Celina Su
Publications and Research
For social change organizations working to address intractable social problems throughout the USA, tackling race may not only be unavoidable; it may represent a way to fully engage stakeholders in social change work. We argue that illuminating the relationship between race and leadership can advance our under- standing of how social change leadership happens in practice. We build upon scholarship that emphasizes the ways in which seemingly essentialist, intractable racial categories are actually mutable, and the simultaneous emergence of academic research calling attention to the constructed and collective dimensions of leadership. Using a constructionist lens to analyze narratives from 22 …
Effect Of Suburban Transit Oriented Developments On Residential Property Values, Shishir Mathur, Christopher Ferrell
Effect Of Suburban Transit Oriented Developments On Residential Property Values, Shishir Mathur, Christopher Ferrell
Faculty Publications, Urban and Regional Planning
No abstract provided.
Understanding And Measuring Bicycling Behavior: A Focus On Travel Time And Route Choice, Jennifer Dill, John Gliebe
Understanding And Measuring Bicycling Behavior: A Focus On Travel Time And Route Choice, Jennifer Dill, John Gliebe
Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations
With rates of obesity, heart disease, and related health problems increasing in the U.S. many policy makers are looking for ways to increase physical activity in everyday life. Using a bicycle instead of a motor vehicle for a portion of everyday travel could help address these problems. This research aims to fill a gap in the existing literature on the effect of different types of infrastructure, such as bicycle lanes or paths, on bicycling. The project used global positioning system (GPS) technology to record where a sample of 164 adults in the Portland, OR region rode their bicycles. Data was …
Road Ecology Course And Seminar Series, Mark D. Sytsma
Road Ecology Course And Seminar Series, Mark D. Sytsma
TREC Final Reports
The American road network is a major economic investment that is a major organizing force for human activity. The road system has profoundly altered ecological processes and, as a result, it is also an important organizing force for ecosystems. Understanding the ecological consequences of road system design and use is critical to effective engineering and management of road systems to minimize impacts. I propose a new course within Environmental Science and Resources at PSU that will expose upper division undergraduate and graduate students to the fundamental concepts of road ecology through discussion, guest speakers, and field trips. I propose a …
The Role Of Northeast Ohio Central Cities In The Regional Economy, 2000-2007, Ziona Austrian, Candice Clouse, Eric J. Mundy, Frank Akpadock, Thomas Jr. Finnerty, John R. Bralich
The Role Of Northeast Ohio Central Cities In The Regional Economy, 2000-2007, Ziona Austrian, Candice Clouse, Eric J. Mundy, Frank Akpadock, Thomas Jr. Finnerty, John R. Bralich
All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications
This report examines the four central cities in Northeast Ohio – Akron, Canton, Cleveland, and Youngstown — in the context of their metropolitan areas. A central city is the largest or most important city of a metropolitan area. A metropolitan area combines a large city with adjacent urbanized areas and peripheral areas that are closely bound to the center with strong ties to commuting, commerce, and a common labor market.