Abstract.
This paper looks at the impact of high technology employment concentrations on urban sprawl. A methodology for translating spatial employment patterns, into place of residence patterns, is presented. On this basis, the consumption of land at the urban fringe due to both residential and non-residential uses, is estimated. The method is tested empirically using data relating to the two main outer suburban agglomerations of high technology activity in the Chicago metropolitan area. Two counter-factual situations are simulated. The first relates to a spatial counter-factual whereby the high tech concentrations develop in the city of Chicago or within the inner suburbs. The second presents an industry counter-factual that estimates the land consumption impacts arising from the development of an alternative industrial concentration in the same location. The results of the actual and hypothetical cases are compared. They point to a considerable saving in acreage in all alternative scenarios. Some policy implications are highlighted.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received: March 2001/Accepted: April 2002
Thanks to three anonymous referees for constructive criticism on an earlier draft, to Joe Persky for advice and to Tim Angell Lake County Department of Planning and Development and Bill Syverson, County Community Development, DuPage County who provided access to firm-level employment data. The work was undertaken when the author was Senior Research Fellow at the Great Cities Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Felsenstein, D. Do high technology agglomerations encourage urban sprawl?. Ann Reg Sci 36, 663–682 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s001680200101
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s001680200101