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Population decentralization within metropolitan areas: 1970-1980
Journal of Urban Economics
|March 1, 1990
Summary
Demographic and housing factors, not fiscal disparities, drove U.S. metropolitan decentralization between 1970-1980. This study analyzed population shifts and economic changes in major urban areas.
Area of Science:
- Urban Studies
- Economics
- Demography
Background:
- Central city areas in major U.S. metropolitan regions experienced significant economic and population shifts between 1970 and 1980.
- Understanding the drivers of this decentralization is crucial for urban planning and policy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the key factors influencing economic and population decentralization affecting central city areas from 1970 to 1980.
- To analyze the relative impact of demographic, housing, and fiscal variables on urban decentralization.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a dataset with geographic and fiscal continuity across major U.S. metropolitan areas.
- Estimated population changes using constant 1980 boundaries to resolve annexation issues.
- Calculated fiscal variables based on overlapping jurisdictions by city area, not just municipal government.
Main Results:
- Demographic variables, including population shifts and characteristics, significantly impacted decentralization trends.
- Housing stock characteristics, such as age and type, played a substantial role in urban decentralization.
- Central city-suburban fiscal differences had a lesser impact on decentralization compared to demographic and housing factors.
Conclusions:
- The study concludes that demographic and housing stock variables were more influential than fiscal differences in driving urban decentralization during the 1970s.
- Findings suggest that urban policy interventions should consider demographic and housing market dynamics when addressing central city decline.