Cork City and its hinterland are defined as the Metropolitan Area as set out in the Cork Area Strategic Plan (CASP). CASP defines the Cork City Metropolitan Area as the towns and areas in the immediate hinterland of the City of Cork as a single integrated unit. It consists of Cork City and the towns of Ballincollig, Blarney, Carrigaline, Douglas, Glanmire, Glountane, Carrigtwohill, Midleton and Cobh. The area (with a population of 264,000 in 2005) is the second largest urban area in the Republic of Ireland. All contributions in the study are measured in quantitative terms.