Repositioning the rural in city-regionalism through a locally based functional analysis

Worldwide, city-regions have been considered as locomotors to promote regional and national competitiveness. This normative view has continuously highlighted the significant role of a city within and beyond a region, as it tends to overlook the nature of that city-region, which has been shaped by both its urban and rural settings. To reposition the rural in city-regionalism, this research uses the city-regional policy of Taiwan and its cultural capital, Tainan City, as a case study to reveal the significance that a rural industry can have within and beyond a city-region through adopting a locally based, multiplex city-regional functional approach.