Editing Liverpool (section)

=====Other definitions=====

At the 2021 Census, the ONS used a refreshed concept of built-up areas (BUAs) based on the physical built environment, using [[satellite imagery]] to recognise developed land, such as cities, towns, and villages. This allows the ONS to investigate economic and social statistics based on actual settlements where most people live. Data from the 2021 Census is not directly comparable with [[2011 United Kingdom census|2011 Census]] data due to this revised methodology. Using the population figures of BUAs at the 2021 Census (excluding London), [[Liverpool Built-up Area]] is the third largest in England with some 506,565 usual residents (behind only [[Birmingham]] and [[Leeds]]). Liverpool's built-up area is, therefore, larger than the major English cities of [[Bristol]], Manchester, [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], [[Nottingham]] and [[Sheffield]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales: Census 2021|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwales/census2021|access-date=9 September 2023|website=ons.gov.uk|archive-date=21 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231121221510/https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwales/census2021|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Liverpool city region.png|thumb|left|Map showing the six boroughs of [[Liverpool City Region]]: the 4th largest [[combined authority]] area in England.]]
Excluding London, the [[Liverpool City Region]] was the 4th largest [[combined authority]] area in England, by 2021. The population is approximately 1.6&nbsp;million. The Liverpool City Region is a political and economic partnership between local authorities including [[Liverpool City Council|Liverpool]], plus the [[Metropolitan borough]]s of [[Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley|Knowsley]], [[Metropolitan Borough of Sefton|Sefton]], [[Metropolitan Borough of St Helens|St Helens]], [[Metropolitan Borough of Wirral|Wirral]] and the [[Borough of Halton]]. The [[Liverpool City Region Combined Authority]] exercises strategic governance powers for the region in many areas. The economic data of the Liverpool city region is of particular policy interest to the [[Office for National Statistics]], particularly as the [[Government of the United Kingdom|British Government]] continuously explores the potential to negotiate increased [[Devolution in the United Kingdom|devolved powers]] for each combined authority area.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Population living in an area covered by a combined authority or regional governance body that has a devolution deal with a directly elected mayor, England, as of 13 January 2023|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/adhocs/15439populationlivinginanareacoveredbyacombinedauthorityorregionalgovernancebodythathasadevolutiondealwithadirectlyelectedmayorenglandasof13january2023|website=ons.gov.uk|access-date=10 September 2023|archive-date=18 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230918184742/https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/adhocs/15439populationlivinginanareacoveredbyacombinedauthorityorregionalgovernancebodythathasadevolutiondealwithadirectlyelectedmayorenglandasof13january2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Liverpool City Region|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/areas/E47000004|website=ons.gov.uk|access-date=10 September 2023|archive-date=18 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230918184740/https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/areas/E47000004|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Combined Authority economic indicators|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/economicoutputandproductivity/output/articles/combinedauthorityeconomicindicators/2017-03-14|website=ons.gov.uk|access-date=10 September 2023|archive-date=18 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230918184738/https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/economicoutputandproductivity/output/articles/combinedauthorityeconomicindicators/2017-03-14|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Compare Liverpool combined authority|url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/comb/1853882372/subreports/pop_compared/report.aspx?allInGB=&pivot=total&&sort=1&ascending=|website=nomisweb.co.uk|access-date=10 September 2023|archive-date=18 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230918184737/https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/comb/1853882372/subreports/pop_compared/report.aspx?allInGB=&pivot=total&&sort=1&ascending=|url-status=live}}</ref>

A 2011 report, ''Liverpool City Region – Building on its Strengths'', by [[Lord Heseltine]] and [[Terry Leahy]], stated that "what is now called Liverpool City Region has a population of around 1.5{{nbsp}}million", but also referred to "an urban region that spreads from [[Wrexham]] and [[Flintshire]] to [[Chester]], [[Warrington]], [[West Lancashire]] and across to [[Southport]]", with a population of 2.3{{nbsp}}million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/32080/11-1338-rebalancing-britain-liverpool-city-region.pdf|title=Liverpool City Region – Building on its Strengths|access-date=10 August 2016|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304110712/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/32080/11-1338-rebalancing-britain-liverpool-city-region.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2006, in an attempt to harmonise the series of metropolitan areas across the European Union, ESPON (now [[European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion]]) released a study defining a "[[ESPON metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom|Liverpool/Birkenhead Metropolitan area]]" with an estimated population of 2,241,000 people. The metro area comprised a functional urban area consisting of a contiguous urban sprawl, labour pool, and commuter [[Travel to work area]]s. The analysis defined this metropolitan area as Liverpool itself, combined with the surrounding areas of [[Birkenhead]], [[Wigan]]/[[Ashton-in-Makerfield|Ashton]], [[Warrington]], [[Widnes]]/[[Runcorn]], [[Chester]], [[Southport]], [[Ellesmere Port]], [[Ormskirk]] and [[Skelmersdale]].<ref name="ESPON project">{{cite web|url=http://www.espon.eu/export/sites/default/Documents/Projects/ESPON2006Projects/StudiesScientificSupportProjects/UrbanFunctions/fr-1.4.3_April2007-final.pdf#page=119|title=British urban pattern: population data|access-date=14 May 2012|date=March 2007|website=ESPON project 1.4.3 Study on Urban Functions|publisher=[[European Spatial Planning Observation Network]]|page=119|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924002318/http://www.espon.eu/export/sites/default/Documents/Projects/ESPON2006Projects/StudiesScientificSupportProjects/UrbanFunctions/fr-1.4.3_April2007-final.pdf#page=119|archive-date=24 September 2015}}</ref>

Liverpool and Manchester are sometimes considered as one large polynuclear metropolitan area,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/uk-ac-man-scw:89997|title=Shrinking cities and growing regions – emerging trends of new rural-urban relationships in the UK and Germany (Manchester eScholar – The University of Manchester)|date=July 2005|publisher=Escholar.manchester.ac.uk|access-date=7 November 2012|archive-date=25 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425150854/https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/uk-ac-man-scw:89997|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=1122670315&men=gcis&lng=en&des=wg&geo=-81&srt=pnan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&va=&pt=a|title=World Gazetteer: United Kingdom – largest cities (per geographical entity)|publisher=Archive.is|access-date=5 February 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130105182544/http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=1122670315&men=gcis&lng=en&des=wg&geo=-81&srt=pnan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&va=&pt=a|archive-date=5 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/oct/23/ruralaffairs.britishidentity|work=The Guardian|first=Martin|last=Wainwright|title=Seeking peace and quiet? Here's where to find it|date=23 October 2006|location=London|access-date=12 December 2016|archive-date=15 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215220517/http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/oct/23/ruralaffairs.britishidentity|url-status=live}}</ref> or [[megalopolis (city type)|megalopolis]].