The Industrial Composition of Edge Cities and Downtowns: The New Urban Reality

Abstract

This article reports on research examining the industrial composition of edge cities in Ohio and their downtowns. Using the definition of edge cities devised by Joel Garreau, the authors identified 26 edge cities and near-edge cities in Ohio. The research finds that Ohio edge cities are far more economically diverse places than was hypothesized, that they tend to be highly specialized in terms of their industrial structures, and that they do not resemble the downtowns that they surround. The authors hold that edge cities have replaced a segment of downtowns, which are now only one component of specialized regional economic landscapes.