Intermediary cities play a pivotal “bridging” role in regional development, complementing nearby large urban centres while supporting smaller cities, towns, and rural areas. Although intermediary cities account for a substantial share of cities and host a significant portion of the urban population across the OECD, they have received limited policy attention, which has tended to focus on metropolitan areas. This gap leaves the full potential of intermediary cities underexploited and calls for stronger, evidence-based policy guidance. This report synthesises the main findings of the OECD EU project “Unlocking the Potential of Intermediary Cities for Regional Development.” It aims to deepen understanding of the role of intermediary cities and to support policymakers in advancing more balanced, sustainable, and inclusive territorial development. The report introduces a harmonised definition, new indicators, and an experimental typology of intermediary cities. It also identifies key policy priorities to help governments unlock their potential across diverse contexts, drawing on six in-depth, place-based case studies. Finally, it presents a pilot policy toolkit that translates these insights into practical, step-by-step guidance for action.
Forthcoming
Unlocking the Potential of Intermediary Cities for Regional Development
Will be released on
