OFFICE LOCATION DYNAMICS IN TORONTO: SUBURBANIZATION AND CENTRAL DISTRICT SPECIALIZATION

In spite of vigorous office suburbanization, Toronto's central district has retained the principal offices of financial organizations, the head offices of many of Canada's "elite" firms, the offices of high order business services—such as advertising agencies— and the largest of the legal and accounting firms. Partial or back office decentralization has left executive functions behind in the central district and these have been joined recently by newly formed executive offices of firms previously not represented in the central district. On the other hand, suburban office growth has consisted of small consumer and business oriented establishments, sales oriented organizations and other branch offices, the head offices of predominantly foreign manufacturing and insurance companies, and, recently, a variety of offices with a large percentage of clerical workers. Selective suburbanization is leading to qualitative differences between the central district and suburban office areas, with the central district be...