2005
Abstract:
Are contemporary metropolitan regions becoming more dispersed?
There are theoretical arguments for both concentration and dispersal. The
purpose of our research is to establish an empirical base that can help us
understand the evolution of metropolitan spatial structure. Using data for the
Los Angeles region from 1980, 1990 and 2000, we identify employment
centers and describe spatial trends in the pattern of employment inside and
outside these centers. Our findings point to three trends: 1) a remarkable
degree of stability in the system of centers; 2) a marked spread in the average
distance of jobs from the traditional core; 3) emergence and growth of
suburban employment centers. Thus decentralization is not simply dispersion,
but rather both deconcentration and concentration. These trends appear to defy
simple models of urban evolution and call for a more nuanced portrayal of the
dynamics underlying these trends
