FIRM LOCATION AND LAND-USE IN DISCRETE URBAN SPACE - A STUDY OF THE SPATIAL STRUCTURE OF DALLAS FORT-WORTH

The paper seeks to probe the underlying causes of the observed polycentricity in spatial structure of the Dallas-Fort Worth area by examining the intra-metropolitan location decisions of establishments in major industrial categories. Zip code zones are used to characterize the set of alternatives available to profit-maximizing firms, and the determinants of spatial choice are estimated in a multinomial logit framework. The model specification includes monocentric as well as more complex multidimensional interactions over discrete urban space. Results confirm a considerable degree of decentralization in most activities, predicting employment subcenters and nodes quite well. Implications for land use and city structure should inform both positive and normative contemporary urban issues.