Growth effects of urban-rural and intra-regional linkages on counties and communities in the U.S.

Ganning, Joanna P.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/16062 Copy

Description

Title

Growth effects of urban-rural and intra-regional linkages on counties and communities in the U.S.

Author(s)

Ganning, Joanna P.

Issue Date

2010-05-19T18:33:40Z

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Lee, Bumsoo

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Lee, Bumsoo

Committee Member(s)

• Baylis, Katherine R.
• Hewings, Geoffrey J.D.
• McLafferty, Sara L.

Department of Study

Urban & Regional Planning

Discipline

Regional Planning

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• spatial structure
• spread-backwash effects
• regional development
• deconcentration and restructuring
• spatial econometrics
• urban-rural interface

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the population growth effects of urban-rural and intra-regional linkages in the United States. This dissertation follows the three paper format. The first paper (Chapter 2) investigates the construct reliability of a nodality-based spatial structure scheme for U.S. metropolitan regions. Using a broad literature review of the relationships between monocentrism, polycentrism, and economic and demographic variables, I develop hypotheses regarding theoretical characteristics of monocentric and polycentric regions. I test these hypotheses using data from regions defined by the nodality-based spatial structure scheme as monocentric or polycentric. In general, I find that while the drivers of monocentricity are well understood in the literature and are reflected in the empirically classified monocentric regions, our theoretical understanding of and our ability to detect polycentricity are not as robust. This underscores the need to investigate further the growth effects of urban-rural and intra-regional linkages. In the second paper (Chapter 3) I investigate the growth effects in non-metropolitan places of growth in proximate Metropolitan Statistical Areas. This chapter concludes that while commuting plays a critical role in delivering the benefits of urban growth to non-metropolitan places, economic linkages and commodity flows likely play a much more significant role. Additionally, there is evidence that non-metropolitan places develop to suit the demands of the nearest city, rather than participating in more global markets, though much future work could be done in this area. In the third paper (Chapter 4) I investigate spatial heterogeneity in the relationship between commuting and migration in a broad region around Chicago. This chapter supports earlier research findings that population deconcentration is driving the spatial expansion of economic activity, but that the drivers of that deconcentration vary significantly across space.

Graduation Semester

2010-5

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Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2010 Joanna P. Ganning

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