Stedenpatronen rondom de Noordzee van de dertiende tot en met de eenentwintigste eeuw

Contemporary urbanization patterns around the North Sea can only be understood by looking at their long-term development and studying how these arose evolved over centuries. If we look no further back than Industrial Revolution, get a distorted picture. The fact is that were for most part already established before period, as clearly seen in composite map showing all cities reference years.
 Major port like Hamburg, Amsterdam, Rotterdam Antwerp emerged during late Middle Ages. Many other of importance today also date to period. Revolution was decisive two groups cities: those English Midlands Germany’s Ruhr area.
 maps reflecting situation 1300 2015 reveal type landscape had huge impact on patterns. Landscape provides continuity. In reaction dramatic changes wrought political economic processes, areas behaved communicating vessels: Southern Netherlands contracted, Northern expanded, Holland declined, England prospered.
 A succession major processes crucial our understanding position, function significance today’s key cities. foundations urban period 1500. It noteworthy centuries epicentre lay politically fragmented along eastern shore here powerful enterprising townsmen ensured an intensive exchange goods.
 decades after 1600, far-reaching occurred Dutch Revolt resulted shift prosperity from southern northern provinces, which subsequently experienced Golden Age. While provinces constrained Spanish rulers, newly formed Republic where wealthy citizens charge, flourished transhipment trading centres.
 During eighteenth century, there more shifts: centre gravity moved side Sea, England, character economy completely transformed main now kingdom into British Empire both government entrepreneurs played important role.
 Ever since industrialization took hold France, Belgium early nineteenth region has been characterized several epicentres have managed survive twentieth century. consolidation pattern occurred, seemingly due that, birth welfare state European Union, national governments concentrated economy, population