Agglomeration area
A conurbation is a special form of metropolitan areas and smaller metropolitan agglomerations in Germany . Metropolitan areas are characterized by a high concentration of population, economy and infrastructure facilities and, related to this, by a high density of buildings. They are located at strong junctions of the traffic lines, the so-called development axes .
The economic development and industrialization in the so-called industrialized countries during the last centuries and decades would be without the spatial densification or without the trend towards urbanization, i. H. the expansion of the cities through immigration was not possible. The metropolitan areas are constantly expanding all over the world.
After the aim of the Spatial Planning Act of the federal and state planning for the creation of equal living conditions throughout Germany, the state support measures aimed at densification measures mainly to achieve the improvement of the environmental situation and to remedy deficiencies - such as housing or deficits in local public transport .
The rural areas with very low population and settlement density as a counterpart to the densely populated areas, on the other hand, are given preference by the state in their further development. The move of the economy to the agglomeration areas is, however, generally slightly influenced by this.
Characteristics for Germany: minimum area 100 square kilometers, minimum number of inhabitants 150,000 inhabitants and at least 1,250 inhabitants per square kilometer.