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Agglomeration and Dispersion of High-order Service Employment in the Montreal Metropolitan Region, 1981-96

Author

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  • William J. Coffey

    (Département de Géographie, Université de Montreal, C.P. 6128, Succ. CV Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3C 3J7, william.coffey@umontreal.ca)

  • Richard G. Shearmur

    (INRS-Urbanisation, 3465 rue Durocher, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2X2C6, richard_shearmur@inrs-urb.uquebec.ca)

Abstract

Much of the recent urban literature on suburban employment centres has neglected the role of high-order services, perhaps the principal component of 'edge cities', in the creation of the evolving multinucleated metropolitan structure. This paper specifically explores the role of high-order services in this process. We use employment by place-of-work data at the census-tract level to examine the changing intrametropolitan geography of employment in four finance, insurance and real estate (FIRE) services and eight business services in the Montreal area over the period 1981-96. We find evidence of central business district (CBD) decline in relative, but not absolute, terms. The resulting decentralisation has clearly assumed the form of polycentricity rather than of generalised dispersion. In spite of recent advances in telecommunications technologies, agglomeration economies continue to exert an important impact upon intrametropolitan location.

Suggested Citation

  • William J. Coffey & Richard G. Shearmur, 2002. "Agglomeration and Dispersion of High-order Service Employment in the Montreal Metropolitan Region, 1981-96," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 39(3), pages 359-378, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:39:y:2002:i:3:p:359-378
    DOI: 10.1080/00420980220112739
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Cui, Boer & Boisjoly, Geneviève & El-Geneidy, Ahmed & Levinson, David, 2019. "Accessibility and the journey to work through the lens of equity," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 269-277.
    3. Juan Zhu & Xinyi Niu & Cheng Shi, 2019. "The Influencing Factors of a Polycentric Employment System on Jobs-Housing Matching—A Case Study of Hangzhou, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-18, October.
    4. Zhou, Xingang & Yeh, Anthony G.O. & Yue, Yang, 2018. "Spatial variation of self-containment and jobs-housing balance in Shenzhen using cellphone big data," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 102-108.
    5. repec:rre:publsh:v:38:y:2008:i:2:p:173-93 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. David Doloreux & Nabil Amara & Réjean Landry, 2008. "Mapping Regional and Sectoral Characteristics of Knowledge‐Intensive Business Services: Evidence from the Province of Quebec (Canada)," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(3), pages 464-496, September.
    7. Lingyue Li & Xiaohu Zhang, 2020. "Spatial Evolution and Critical Factors of Urban Innovation: Evidence from Shanghai, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-19, January.
    8. Kim Hun-Min, 2004. "A Comparative Study on Industrial Competitiveness of World Cities," International Review of Public Administration, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(1), pages 57-70, July.
    9. Yujing Zhao & Hong Leng & Pingjun Sun & Qing Yuan, 2018. "A Spatial Zoning Model of Municipal Administrative Areas Based on Major Function-Oriented Zones," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-25, August.
    10. Yiyong Chen & John Zacharias & Mali Zeng, 2020. "Searching for the Center: A New Civic Role for the Central Business District in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-17, January.
    11. Yizhou Wu & Peilei Fan & Heyuan You, 2018. "Spatial Evolution of Producer Service Sectors and Its Influencing Factors in Cities: A Case Study of Hangzhou, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-23, March.
    12. Junjie Hong, 2007. "Location Determinants and Patterns of Foreign Logistics Services in Shanghai, China," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(4), pages 339-354, June.

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