Triangle Is Polycentric Rather than Centric Region
In a region where cooperation and collaboration is intense, why is there frequent confusion over the geographic nature of the region? One reason is that the Research Triangle Region is sometimes misinterpreted as a “centric” region like Atlanta or Charlotte. In actuality, the Triangle is a “polycentric” region similar in nature to Annapolis, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., or Greensboro, High Point, and Winston-Salem.
Comparing the Triangle to centric areas like Atlanta or Charlotte is like comparing apples to oranges. Centric regions, in chemistry terms, are like atoms: they have a large, single-city (nucleus) surrounded by smaller, suburban areas (electrons).
The genius and strength of the Triangle is that it is a polycentric region of equals. The polycentric Triangle is more like a molecule—multiple, distinct atoms linked by shared forces. The communities of Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Garner, Morrisville, Raleigh, and others are the atoms linked by shared forces like RDU International Airport [map], which is co-owned by the cities of Durham and Raleigh and the counties of Durham and Wake, or RTP, which is surrounded on three sides by the City of Durham with a small portion extending into Wake County.
Polycentric regions have scores of advantages over centric regions. Because of the combination of distinct offerings and shared resources, they provide visitors and residents with a wealth of features and amenities not found in centric regions. But, polycentric regions are more complex and require more time to harmonize differences and align strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions About Regions:
Q: Why do some people persist in referring to the Triangle as
Raleigh/Durham?
A: They are usually referring to either the
jointly-owned Airport or the former Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). After the 2000 U.S. Census, the
U.S. Office of Management and Budget split the former MSA into two
separate MSAs: a four-county metro around the core city of Durham and a
three-county metro around Cary and Raleigh.
Q: What does the media mean by Raleigh/Durham?
A:
This is another truncated reference. The media measures local markets,
known as Designated Market Areas (DMA), by audience reach. For TV, the
DMA is a 23-county region called Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville. For
newspapers and radio, it is more correct to use Raleigh-Durham-Chapel
Hill.
Q: Why does it matter?
A: Communities market
themselves as “destinations” to lessen the tax burden on
residents and fuel the local business climate (which also helps expand
the tax base). Treating the Triangle as a centric destination skews
these results toward a single community. To work effectively as a
region, we must harmonize differences and align strategies, while
retaining and promoting very distinct “products.” Almost 8 out
of 10 Triangle residents prefer to characterize where they live by a
specific city, town, or county and reject the term
“Raleigh-Durham” for any use other than the name of the
jointly owned airport.
Q: Why do some people automatically assume a question about the
region is a question about Raleigh—as if the other communities are
invisible?
A: It isn’t always intentional. These people
are either misinformed or egocentric. For example, some people say
“flying into Raleigh” when they mean into the co-owned
regional airport. The same people, when referring to Downtown,
automatically assume there is only one in the Triangle. It makes the
Triangle either look dumb in the eyes of visitors or it is taken as a
kind of “code” designed to guide the customer to what is
perceived as “the only acceptable place.” Either way,
intentional or not, it undermines the Triangle and the cause of regional
cooperation.
Last updated 11/19/04
