Urban and rural areas alike witness severe dynamics. Moreover understandings of what
constitutes the urban and the rural are changing too. Metapolis conceptualizes the network of
urban and rural settlements interconnected by flows of people goods and information. How can
this Metapolis be understood and evolve in a more sustainable manner? By example of two study
regions in Lower Saxony-a federal state of Germany consisting of few large cities mostly
mid-sized and small towns suburbs and villages-this volume presents an innovative analytical
framework called Topoi offering a new perspective on urban-rural development. Different
scenarios explore innovative solutions for sustainable planning and design along the
urban-rural gradient.
