INFRASTRUCTURE AS CONNECTION : Accessibility, Commuting and Urban life beyond the Core in the Copenhagen Region

Sammanfattning

This thesis examines functional regional integration in the Copenhagen region by analysing how accessibility, proximity and mobility shape spatial-economic outcomes across 29 municipalities. The study compares municipal patterns between 2014 and 2024 and uses a quantitative research design based on official statistics, GIS-based rail distance measures and statistical analysis in STATA. Rail-distance and estimated rail travel time are used as proxy indicators of accessibility and spatial friction, while commuting intensity, day-night population ratios, employment density and housing prices are used to examine regional mobility and spatial-economic variation. The findings show that Copenhagen remains the dominant regional core, but the region cannot be understood only through a simple core-periphery structure. Municipalities closer to Copenhagen generally have stronger accessibility conditions, yet commuting intensity, employment concentration and housing market patterns are also shaped by local differences beyond rail proximity. The thesis therefore finds that rail-based proximity supports functional regional integration by reducing spatial friction, but it does not fully explain the spatial-economic structure of the region. Overall, the study highlights the importance of understanding accessibility as a multidimensional concept shaped by infrastructure, commuting behavior, employment distribution and housing market conditions.