Title: The clustering and spatial distribution of economic activities in eight Canadian cities

Authors: Richard Shearmur

Addresses: INRS – Urbanisation, Culture et Societe, 385, rue Sherbrooke est, Montreal, Quebec H2X 1E3, Canada

Abstract: In the light of certain claims that economic activity is increasingly locating in a random fashion and of other claims that the co-location of economic activities is important for firms, we investigate the extent to which patterns of co-location can be identified across eight Canadian metropolitan areas. Two questions were raised: firstly, do the same sectors co-locate in all cities? Secondly, are these sectoral clusters similarly distributed over space within each city? We find that common clusters emerge across all cities and that these clusters are located similarly within each city. We identify two basic types of cluster, only one of which can be interpreted as a sign of interdependencies between sectors. The other type of cluster is more readily explained by similar land use patterns, planning regulations and labour requirements of the co-locating sectors.

Keywords: spatial clustering; metropolitain economy; urban forms; networks; location theory; Canada; co-location; economic activities; industrial clusters; land use patterns; planning regulations; labour requirements; innovation management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEIM.2007.012884

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, 2007 Vol.7 No.2/3/4/5, pp.223 - 250

Published online: 21 Mar 2007 *

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