Metropolis
The word metropolis is derived from the Greek meter meaning ‘mother’ and polis meaning ‘city’. It originally referred to the founding city-state of a region of Ancient Greece.
More recently its meaning has become more ambiguous, taken variously to mean:
- A large, densely populated urban area.
- The main city of a region or county.
- An important city, such as a city that is the centre of a particular activity. For example an industrial metropolis.
A metropolis can encompass more than one city as well as surrounding suburban areas, towns and villages.
Similarly important, but smaller cities may be referred to as a regiopolis.
In the United Kingdom, the designation 'metropolis' historically referred only to London, hence the name of the Metropolitan Police Service. However, the term has been expanded to allow other designations such as metropolitan counties, metropolitan districts and metropolitan areas.
Six metropolitan counties were established under the Local Government Act 1972. This Act introduced a major reorganisation of local government boundaries across Great Britain, merging smaller district councils and altering the boundaries of county council areas. The metropolitan counties were Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, West Midlands and West Yorkshire.
For more information see: Metropolitan counties.
The term ‘metropolitan city’ may be synonymous with metropolis, or it may be used specifically to describe a city within a metropolitan area which is the main city of that area.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
Featured articles and news
Electrotechnical excellence, now open for entries.
Net zero electricity grids BSRIA guide NZG 5/2024
Outlining the changes needed to transition to net zero.
CIOB Global Student Challenge 2024
Universitas Indonesia wins for second year running.
New project and cultural district described in detail.
The nature of EPCs, crticism and inaccuracies.
History, issues and redesign.
From waste recycling to energy performance the hierchy.
An introduction to WERCS and WEEE responsibilities
Dealing with 2 million tonnes of waste equipment a year.
Global BACS Market: analytics and optimisation
A BSRIA glance at building automation and control systems.
What it is and how to use it.
Types of insulating plaster by binder and insulant.
Investors in People: CIOB achieves gold
Reflecting a commitment to employees and members.
Scratching beneath the surface; a guide to selection.
ECA 2024 Apprentice of the Year Award
Entries open for submission until May 31.
UK gov apprenticeship funding from April 2024
Brief summary the policy paper updated in March.
For the World Autism Awareness Month of April.