THE STRUCTURE OF SHOPPING IN A METROPOLIS

A rich data source on retail and service establishments permitted a comprehensive description and analysis of the structure of business districts of the Seattle metropolitan area. Particular attention is paid to the hierarchy of centers and to functional specialization in relation to theories of urban structure. A simple hierarchical central place structure proved dominant, but within this structure, planned and unplanned centers, as well as arterial strips all exhibited successful specialization and market adaptability. However, comparison with similarly good 1954 data revealed the fundamental restructuring from city to suburb that has occurred.