A New Look at the Determinants of the Intrametropolitan Distribution of Population and Employment

Abstract

The intrametropolitan distribution of population and employment is a topic of considerable interest due to its implications for urban development. We develop an econometric model relating these distributions to a variety of factors. Using several unique explanatory variables and allowing for multiple suburban jurisdictions enable us to model better the spatial aspects of a metropolitan area. We find that housing cost and quality are the most important determinants of the population distribution, which is the most important determinant of the employment distribution; however, causation between population and employment runs both ways. Spatial factors, including transport infrastructure, play an important role in metropolitan development. The importance of various factors differs between manufacturing and non-manufacturing employment and between the white and non-white populations.