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Suburbia Makes the Central City: A New Interpretation of City Suburb Relationships

Kevin B. O'Connor, Edward J. Blakely

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Abstract

For a considerable time metropolitan development policy has regarded suburban growth as a problem, something to be controlled, contained or constrained. This thinking was applied especially to the CBD; in many metropolitan areas, suburban growth was seen as a reason for decline in CBD activity, and policy was applied with that justification. Recent evidence suggests suburban regions provide much of the economic vitality of metropolitan areas, and can stimulate CBD expansion. This paper reviews this issue and reports on a start that has been made to test the idea in detail in Melbourne and San Francisco.

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For a considerable time metropolitan development policy has regarded suburban growth as a problem, something to be controlled, contained or constrained. This thinking was applied especially to the CBD; in many metropolitan areas, suburban growth was seen as a reason for decline in CBD activity, and policy was applied with that justification. Recent evidence suggests suburban regions provide much of the economic vitality of metropolitan areas, and can stimulate CBD expansion. This paper reviews this issue and reports on a start that has been made to test the idea in detail in Melbourne and San Francisco.

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Available abstract

For a considerable time metropolitan development policy has regarded suburban growth as a problem, something to be controlled, contained or constrained. This thinking was applied especially to the CBD; in many metropolitan areas, suburban growth was seen as a reason for decline in CBD activity, and policy was applied with that justification. Recent evidence suggests suburban regions provide much of the economic vitality of metropolitan areas, and can stimulate CBD expansion. This paper reviews this issue and reports on a start that has been made to test the idea in detail in Melbourne and San Francisco.

Key concepts: Metropolitan area, Vitality, Central city, Urban policy, Interpretation (philosophy), Regional science, Urban planning, Geography

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